Vista Innovation Park Presents Growth, Grants and STEM Outreach to Lawton Council

Vista Innovation Park officials described rapid growth, workforce development efforts and education outreach when they presented to the Lawton City Council on Feb. 11.

Dr. Krista Ratliff, identified in the meeting as CEO of Vista, said the park currently houses roughly 165 active jobs with an annual payroll of about $19,000,000 paid by tenant companies. "What does a $19,000,000 annual payroll for employees in Southwest Oklahoma look like?" Ratliff asked rhetorically while describing an economic model that estimates a roughly $93,000,000 community impact once multiplier effects are counted.

Ratliff told the council Vista brought in $47,500,000 in grants that support build-outs, a STEM lab and other initiatives; she said the STEM lab is a 27,000-square-foot facility with a prototyping lab and that Vista reached 642 students through direct programming and 3,269 students via outreach in the first six months of operation. "To date, the STEM lab, to include the educators, the materials, and supplies, have received 0 funding from the taxpayers or the city council or the city of Lawton," Ratliff said, adding the program is grant funded and supported by donations and the Vista Foundation.

Council members asked how many partner companies pay rent, whether jobs are local residents or fly-in contractors, and what the pipeline is for training workers. Ratliff said most of the counted 165 jobs are expected to be local residents who live in Southwest Oklahoma and that the park focuses on workforce development with local education partners including Cameron University and Great Plains Technology Center.

Mark Brace, chairman of the Vista Trust Authority, said the park has invested in high-cost prototyping equipment (noting a $1.8 million 3-D printer) and is completing an anechoic chamber complex. He urged council members to visit the site, saying the park is drawing national attention and that some revenues from the lab, the anechoic chamber and rental activity will help move Vista toward self-sufficiency.

Why it matters: The presentation outlines how a public-private innovation park connects defense contractors, workforce development and local education programs. Council members expressed broad support but also raised sustainability and community-wide capacity issues, including housing and the need for coordinated municipal planning so workforce growth can be supported.

Next steps: Council thanked Vista for the presentation; no formal action or vote was taken on Vista-specific requests at this meeting.