Our business community has demonstrated outstanding support for Oklahoma City's economic growth.

In terms of business growth and economic development - there are really two ways to develop a strong economy - an economy made up of high-wage, high-value jobs that are diverse enough to ensure that the region prospers in any type of economy. One of those ways is to attract new companies or operations to our region. The other way is to focus on helping companies who are already here grow and prosper.

For tomorrow to be successful we're going to need the continued support and growth of our membership and our community. Our vision is that downtown Mount Vernon and the Central Business District will be the choice for shopping, dining, entertainment, recreation and tourism in Ohio.

We've had incredible support from the entire community. Local officials and the business community have gotten behind this project in a big way.

I could not have made it without the support from the community and family. I still miss my wife, but I'm getting my feet on the ground and the joy back in my life.

The real highlight of our most recent quarter was the 57 percent growth in our applications business, and this merger is going to make that applications business bigger and stronger,