Sallisaw Chamber of Commerce Hosts August Meeting at the Oklahoma Department of Veterans’ Affairs New Facility in Sallisaw

Thursday, August 28, 2025 - The Sallisaw Chamber of Commerce held its monthly membership meeting on Tuesday, August 27, at the Veteran Affairs Center in Sallisaw.

The Chamber recognized Sallisaw Public Schools as the August Member of the Month. With a mission of encouraging student development and personal growth from early childhood through young adulthood, the district serves more than 1,900 students across four campuses: Liberty Elementary, Eastside Elementary, Sallisaw Middle School, and Sallisaw High School.

Sallisaw Public Schools remains committed to preparing the “whole child,” offering rigorous academics alongside a wide range of extracurricular opportunities to support student growth academically, socially, and emotionally. Guided by the vision “Unlocking Potential, Igniting Excellence,” the district partners with families, the Chamber, and community stakeholders to ensure students graduate with confidence, character, and purpose.

During the announcement portion of the meeting, Carl Albert State College (CASC) announced it will host a Workforce Development Summit on Friday, October 10, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Sallisaw Middle School. The summit is designed to bridge the gap between businesses, education, and workforce development, creating practical solutions to connect workers to jobs and businesses to skilled employees. A job fair will be held from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. and is free to attend, with sponsorship opportunities available. For more information, contact Stephanie Qualls at (918) 775-6977 or snqualls@carlalbert.edu.

In addition, vendor applications and chili cook-off forms for the upcoming Main Street Fall Festival are now available at the Chamber office.

This month’s keynote speaker was Rob Arrington, Director of Homes for the Oklahoma Department of Veteran Affairs. Arrington is responsible for overseeing all seven Oklahoma State Veterans Homes. He began his career with ODVA in 2008 at the Sulphur Veterans Home and later served as administrator of the Norman Veterans Home for more than three years.

Arrington also served in the Oklahoma Army National Guard from 1985 to 2007 as an air traffic controller, with deployments to Bosnia and Iraq. Arrington holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Central Oklahoma and a Master of Public Administration from the University of Oklahoma.

Lindsie Dyer, Staff Writer

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