Kingfisher’s city manager is seeking input from business owners in an open forum this week.

Jim Thomas will take part in a “question and answer” session this Wednesday, Nov. 15.

“Meet the Manager” takes place at 5:30 p.m. at the Kingfisher County Fairgrounds Exhibit Building.

Thomas was hired in July to succeed Dave Slezickey.

He brought with him more than three decades of municipal government experience.

That included serving as city manager of Claremore from 2012-2020.

Thomas listed on his resume the expanded economic development during his time there, which included new restaurants, grocery store and other retail as well as the expansion of two major employers in the city. That development, he said, created 1,000 new jobs.

Among his other accomplishments there was developing Claremore’s first strategic plan, “Claremore 2020” as well as a second one, “Claremore Dreams 2025.”

Both deal with long-term strategic planning, which city commissioners expressed a desire for during their search to hire a city manager.

Claremore Dreams 2025 was introduced in 2018 after nine months of planning that included town hall meetings; meetings with executive leaders, city council members and city department heads; and meetings with Rogers State University leaders.

The project was a 10-year strategic planning initiative that, in a promotional video, Thomas said “more than 1,000 voices contributed” to it.

Wednesday’s session will give local business leaders their opportunity to provide input for Kingfi sher’s future.

Among the topics Thomas wants to address are:

• What can the city do better?

• How can the city better implement economic development?

• How can city leaders better develop a strategic plan with the elected leadership?

The event is sponsored by the Kingfisher Chamber of Commerce.