When Southern Business & Development released its list of 50 Under 50 to Watch, Ardmore Development Authority Sr. VP of Economic Development Andrea Anderson looked it up to see one of her colleagues and to check out who else was recognized.
As it happened, Anderson herself was one of those on the list.
Anderson has been listed among the top professionals by the magazine, which focuses on economic development in the south. The region includes Oklahoma, Texas and Kansas along with southern states spanning to the east coast.
Anderson said while it is an honor for her, it is also recognition for the ADA.
“It is humbling but it also tells me as an organization, we are doing something right,” she said. “It is nice to get the personal recognition, but that stuff is weird to me.
“I look at it more as it is good for the organization.”
Anderson joined the ADA on Jan. 14, 2016, and will celebrate 10 years this upcoming January. She said the award criteria recognizes economic development professionals, who are attending shows and regularly interacting with site selectors.
“Really developing those relationships outside of just going to the shows,” Anderson said.
Like many other businesses and industries, Anderson said a key component of her job is developing relationships. If the people who are making decisions for industry location do not know you, they may not call or even know about what sites you have to offer.
“We get calls from people that we run into shows and other things,” she said. “At times they will say, ‘I don’t know if you have anything, but this is what I need.’”
Anderson said those interactions with the site selectors help keep Ardmore in mind for future possibilities that would be an ideal fit.
In addition to serving on the ADA, Anderson is the Vice Chair of Select Oklahoma, which is the state economic developer practitioner group. She will take over the chair next year. She also serves as the Oklahoma Director on the Board of the Southern Economic Development Council. This will be her last year in that capacity.
Anderson is also on the Food & Resource Center Board of Directors, the Ardmore Family Literacy board and the Ardmore Pickleball Club board.
In looking back at her time with the ADA, Anderson said the organization was in a state of transition when she joined and said former President & CEO Mita Bates laid the groundwork for the ADA to get where it is now. During that time, Anderson said she has evolved with the ADA.
“It is good to know that people recognize the hard work that has been done over the last nine to 10 years to keep Ardmore in the forefront of things,” she said. “Especially as we are transitioning with Michelin and what that looks like. Knowing that people recognize the opportunity that is here is good.”
