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The consultant and founder of Community Growth Strategies, LLC out of Osage Beach, Missouri, did not appear at the Dewey Economic Development Authority meeting on Tuesday night, but he did stay busy earlier this week for the Authority.

Jim Fram returned to the Dewey area for a couple days so he could conduct interviews with 16 local business and community leaders. Dewey City Manager Kevin Trease explained to the Authority that Fram has been working on an updated Economic Development Action Plan for them.

On top of interviewing the 16 local business and community leaders, Fram has completed the demographic research. He has also conducted four telephone interviews with the Oklahoma State Department of Commerce. Now Fram is back in Missouri typing up his final document to present to the Authority.

City Manager Trease added that Fram had a focus group of three business leaders as well. He said the two of them drove around Dewey and looked at some properties. The mindset going into it for them was that Fram was a realtor looking for properties.

Dewey Mayor Tom Hays said he was encouraged by what he heard from City Manager Trease. He said there will be some challenges, but he is happy to hear that they will have an outsiders opinion.

Fram is the former President and CEO of the Bartlesville Development Corporation and the Bartlesville Regional Commerce. These are positions he held from May 2005 to December 2008.

Fram was the Senior Vice President of Economic Development for the Tulsa Regional Chamber from January 2009 to April 2013 before his move to Hot Springs, Arkansas. In Hot Springs, Fram served as the President and CEO for the Greater Hot Springs Chamber of Commerce & the Hot Springs Metro Partnership from April 2013 to September 2017. He would go on to become the Special Projects Manager for the Hot Springs Chamber until December 2017.

The updated Economic Development Action Plan for the City of Dewey will be presented by Fram on Tuesday, March 10th at 6:30 p.m.