MOST NOTABLE PROJECTS

OUR HISTORY & FUTURE - IT'S WHY OUR AGENTS ARE THE BEST!

Clients often approach Sooner State Strategies with a general idea of what they need, and this project was no different. We were able to jump right in with our expertise and really helped the company grow and evolve. Today, their business is doing exceptionally well, and we’re proud to have been part of the process.

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As is noted in his biographical information on this site, Mr. Roberts has an extensive past in politics, government and political campaigns - all left behind him to assist in being a caregiver for "the woman who pretty much raised me," said Roberts. His grandmother.  He attempted to also maintain a job in addition to his caregiver duties.  He signed on as a senior advisor in a US Senate campaign and although his service has been widely viewed as instrumental to the senator's overall effort, the dual roles Roberts served was too much for any person to handle.

Roberts left full time political employment for the remainder of his time as caregiver to his grandmother.  Ruby Roberts, who passed away in December of 2016.  

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"I still have a hard time putting any description of anything occurring in that period into words," said Roberts in a 2019 interview. "She had been my rock and my biggest fan my entire life.  My shoulder to cry on, my safety net, my counselor, my moral compass, my best friend.  My life with her was one of my greatest blessings and the tragic period with her illness, decline, and losing her, shook me to the core.  I wasn't sure I was capable of any semblance of recovery."

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As the Roberts family began to cope with the loss of what several called the "glue that kept our family together," an old friend who Roberts had recently successfully help secure his local position as mayor, asked for some help.

"Patrik Lovell had been a friend my entire life and even though he rubbed some folks the wrong way occasionally, he's one of the best people you'll ever meet," said Roberts. "He came to my house and told me that he needed some help running our hometown, solving a backlog of problems, and finding grants a money to pay for some of the largest and more serious issues since the town was not only broke but badly in debt.  Since we were friends for so long I know that he trusted me and my judgement.  Our discussions over the last years coupled with my degree and experience showcases that I was also intelligent; however, the more significant of all these was my reputation for loyalty which I know he has always appreciated.  He could have used the internet or made calls and found someone else to write ordinances, analyze documents, and prepare and apply for grant funds, but he chose to ask me.  I did have experience, political connections, and was a fixer and problem solver but really I think he pushed me to help in order to help me just as much as help the town.  It's a favor that I will never forget from a man that will never likely receive the thanks and praise that his fellow citizens owe him."

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Thus began a rocky start to figuring out how to fix serious local problems by finding "free-money".  It wasn't long before Roberts realized that those serious issues in his community weren't as easy to fund and pay for as he initially thought they might be.

"I began by creating a document that prioritized the needs of our government, community, and citizens.  The most pressing, urgent, or critical of those problems or issues became high priority while the least urgent and those nonemergency issues were lower priority," said Roberts. "The most pressing and urgent concern was our drinking water.  The drinking water failed a series of tests from the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) which placed the town under a 'consent order' and a monthly fine.  In addition to paying a fine we couldn't afford and fixing a toxicity in our drinking water we couldn't afford, the public had deep concern, and rightly so.  Many threw fits, made scenes, and a large number elsewhere seemed either unfazed or simply didn't know.  The problem consisted of total trihalomethane levels that were too high for human consumption.  The problem was, we purchased our water from a group that claims when they conducted tests before the water entered the water lines to travel to our town, it was within acceptable standards.  This meant, our bad water was only becoming bad as it traveled to us and fixing this would require a heck of a lot of work."

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Roberts urged the council and Mayor Lovell to declare a state of emergency regarding the drinking water.  He wrote the resolution and made several official copies after it was passed.  The closest political officials in his area were given copies of the resolution and made aware of the problem as was Oklahoma's senior US Senator Jim Inhofe.  After the emergency declaration and while the issue was fresh on the minds of several politicians, Roberts crafted an Emergency Grant Application with the Oklahoma Water Resources Board (OWRB).  With no staff and no one around familiar with this process, he poured over thousands of documents, research, budget issues, and also the individual board members responsible for approving or denying his funding request.  Luckily, the associates with whom they had most closet relations happened to be those with which he had acquaintances, friendships, or performed favors on behalf.  Still yet, these funds were highly competitive and political.  Small town McCurtain didn't have the political machines or the potential influence compared to big cities.

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David Roberts' first grant application - a $100,000.00 grant from OWRB to begin the long process of cleaning the drinking water for the people of his hometown.  A town of 516 people.  High poverty.  Little to no resources.  Just a mayor fighting to make things better and a political hack that wrote grants and had connections in government.  A longshot by any way its evaluated.

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Mayor Lovell attended the meeting in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma where the vote on their proposal took place.  The Town of McCurtain's Emergency Grant Application with the Oklahoma Water Resources Board for One Hundred Thousand Dollars was approved and fully funded.  Most were shocked, many were puzzled, those who put these things in motion were neither, they just put their heads back down and got back to work.  The drinking water project required much more money to make it safe and many other issues needed funds for the local government to begin it's journey out of debt and into the light where it served its citizens instead of seeing them as tax revenue mechanisms.

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Projects To-Date:

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Oklahoma Water Resources Board Emergency Grant

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All American First Responders Funding

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Fresh Paint Days and Community Revitalization

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Choctaw Nation Emergency Grant Application Funding Contribution

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Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) - Water/Wastewater Engineering Phase I

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Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) - Water/Wastewater Engineering Phase II

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Fresh Paint Days Keep Oklahoma Beautiful Program 2020

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Environmental Protection Agency Water Improvement Project Funding through

Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma via the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for CDBG's Water Improvement Project Funding

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Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act Funding for Temporary Employees and Employee Trainings, Resources, and Educational Funding

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Community Development Block Grant Professional Certification

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Oklahoma Clean Community Award - Level One Scissor-tailed Flycatcher Award

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Oklahoma Historical Society - State Heritage Preservation Grant

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Currently, Sooner State Strategies has submitted requests for funding from the Department of Justice and the District Attorney's Council to both study and prevent acts of school violence and provide violence prevention equipment to local schools and police departments - funding would provide for items which includes metal detectors, security cameras, door lock mechanisms, and unformed school resource officers.

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THE ENVIRONMENT

Often times our clients have everything they need to succeed, they just require the resources and support to make a strategic jump. We worked on this project for several months and the end result was truly spectacular. By ensuring consistent and transparent communication, our client was able to progress by leaps and bounds.