Project Overview

Welcome to the official Project Website for the Wichita Falls Defense Diversification Plan. This site is intended to provide the general public with progress updates, announcements, and documents as they relate to the project. This site is being maintained by TIP Strategies, Inc., which is solely responsible for its content. Please check back on occasion for new updates.

BACKGROUND
Wichita Falls, Texas is a regional economic center that serves a population of approximately 375,000 in Texas and Oklahoma. The cornerstones of the Wichita Falls regional economy include government, manufacturing, energy, health care, and services. The area's largest employer, Sheppard Air Force Base (SAFB), is home to almost 13,000 military and civilian personnel. In 2005, the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) Commission recommended that some military personnel at SAFB be relocated to other installations, resulting in a net employment loss for the base and the community.

In response, the City of Wichita Falls successfully pursued a defense diversification grant from the Department of Defense's Office of Economic Adjustment (OEA). The grant award is intended to fund a professionally developed defense diversification strategic plan for the region surrounding SAFB. The plan will offer strategies for economic diversification for the region, serve as a guide development for the city, address community image, and will incorporate other related existing plans.

The development of the diversification plan will be led by TIP Strategies of Austin. Freese and Nichols, Inc. of Fort Worth and Dunkin, Sefko & Associates of Dallas will also contribute important elements to the plan.

In addition to working on the defense diversification plan, Freese and Nichols and Dunkin, Sefko & Associates will provide other planning services for the City of Wichita Falls. Freese and Nichols will lead in the development of a Downtown Plan for the city, while Dunkin, Sefko & Associates will provide a Local Update Plan.