Editor’s Note: Home Builder Craig Thurmond was last year’s OSHBA Builder of the Year. We congratulate him on this great honor.
The Mayor's Council of Oklahoma announced last week that Broken Arrow Mayor Craig Thurmond has been selected as the 2016 Mayor of the Year.
"I can't think of a more deserving public servant than Craig Thurmond, who is one of the hardest working people I know," said Vice Mayor Richard Carter. "So much of the success that's happened in Broken Arrow is directly related to Mayor Thurmond's ability to forge partnerships and get things done. I'm proud to serve alongside him in the Broken Arrow City Council."
MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Mayor Thurmond played an integral role in forming Cities United, a working group of metropolitan Tulsa Mayors and City Managers, who worked diligently to capture the retiring Tulsa County Vision 2025 sales tax. With the Vision 2025 renewal, the City of Broken Arrow will hire 40 new police officers and firefighters over the next 5 years and commit approximately $3.3 million annually to street rehabilitation in the community.
The Rose District, Broken Arrow's downtown shopping and entertainment district, continues to flourish under the Mayor's leadership. In November 2015, the Oklahoma Chapter of the American Planning Association honored the Rose District with the Great Street Award for its diversity and character. More construction has taken place in the Rose District in the last five years, than in the past 50, and new businesses continue to open.
Broken Arrow's first conference center is scheduled to open in late 2017. Stoney Creek Hospitality began construction in June 2015 on the Stoney Creek Hotel and Conference Center, expected to be a regional competitor. The 8-acre site just north of Bass Pro Shops in Broken Arrow will include a 187-room hotel and a 40,000 square foot conference center. The public-private partnership will support the vision for long term economic growth for the community.
"Mayor Thurmond's dedication to serving his community is infectious, and it inspires so many of us, myself included, to take care of our citizens," said City Manager Michael Spurgeon. "Broken Arrow is fortunate to have a Mayor who is passionate about transparency, smart growth and is always looking for ways to move the community forward."
Mayor Thurmond was elected to the Broken Arrow City Council in 2001. He has served as Mayor since 2012, focusing on Economic Development and Public Safety. Mayor Thurmond serves on 18 local and national boards, councils and committees. He has worked in the land development and construction industries for 35 years in Oklahoma and California.