IS
Isaac Smallwood
Community Planner at NODA
Experienced community development and program management professional with over 5 years of demonstrated success in the non-profit and public sectors. Skilled in communication, public speaking, interpersonal relations, leadership, and customer service. I have managed public engagement initiatives and overseen the full grant lifecycle for towns, cities, and counties, supporting projects that have collectively impacted over US$2 million in funding within a fiscal year. With a strong academic background in social sciences and Community Development from Kansas State University, I bring a deep understanding of societal dynamics and a passion for building stronger, more connected communities.
Articles
InfrastructureEconomic Development
Feeding the Future: Why Food Manufacturers Are Eyeing Watonga, Oklahoma
<p class="mb-4">Watonga, Oklahoma is quietly pulling off a bold transformation- swapping tourist traffic for tractor-trailers and turning local crops ...
April 23, 2026Read article
Infrastructure
Beyond Pipes and Pavement: The New Rules of Rural Infrastructure
<p class="mb-4">A grain truck hits a weight-restricted bridge at dawn, idles, then turns around—adding 40 miles, burning time, money, and patience. Mu...
April 21, 2026Read article
Economic Development
The Small-Town Startup Revolution: Inside Tonkawa’s Blueprint for Innovation
<p class="mb-4">Rural towns like Tonkawa, Oklahoma, are proving that big ideas don’t require big-city zip codes. With the right mix of local leadershi...
April 14, 2026Read article
Economic Development
Diversify or Decline: The Powerful Case for Broadening Local Economies
<p class="mb-4">Enid, Oklahoma, may be known historically for its oil fields and wheat farms, but the city’s leaders are mapping a bold new future bui...
April 3, 2026Read article
Infrastructure
The Hidden Infrastructure Revolution: Medford’s Long-Term Bet on Water
<p class="mb-4">What does a wastewater treatment plant have to do with the future of sustainable cities? In Medford, Oregon, quite a lot. Beneath the ...
March 22, 2026Read article
Infrastructure
Pipes, Pavement, and Pumps: How One Oklahoma Town Reinvents Its Infrastructure
<p class="mb-4">Covington is what happens when an old oil town collides with twenty‑first‑century growth: roads built for pump trucks now serve school...
March 18, 2026Read article
Economic Development
From Wheat Fields to Aerospace Wings: Enid’s New Economic Frontier
<p class="mb-4">Enid, Oklahoma, is rewriting the playbook on small-city success. By linking classrooms to careers and pairing infrastructure upgrades ...
March 16, 2026Read article
Public WorksInfrastructure
Dig Once, Build Twice: The Power of Integrated Utility and Transportation Planning
<p class="mb-4">Behind Ponca City’s roadwork is a quiet revolution reshaping the small Oklahoma city from the ground up. Each new street, sidewalk, an...
March 13, 2026Read article
Infrastructure
When Tourists Double the Demand: Designing Infrastructure for Seasonal Kaw Lake Crowds
<p class="mb-4">Tucked onto a slim peninsula on Kaw Lake in north-central Oklahoma, Kaw City may look like a sleepy lakeside town, but its infrastruct...
March 9, 2026Read article
TourismEconomic Development
Trails, Tech, and Tourism: How Cherokee Can Turn Eco-Assets into an All-Season Economy
<p class="mb-4">Cherokee stands at a rare crossroads where natural spectacle, historic character, and human creativity can be woven into a single, com...
March 8, 2026Read article
Infrastructure
The Small City With Big Connections: Inside Kingfisher’s Infrastructure Revolution
<p class="mb-4">Nestled in the heart of central Oklahoma, the city of Kingfisher is proving that small cities can think big when it comes to infrastru...
February 28, 2026Read article
Infrastructure
How a Small City Is Using Big-City Tools to Fix Streets, Sidewalks, and Safety
<p class="mb-4">A once-sleepy crossroads town, Morrison is quietly assembling the kind of <strong>infrastructure</strong>strategy many bigger cities s...
February 25, 2026Read article
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