Joy Hofmeister

Executive adviser and chair of 1050 Forward, a project focused on leadership and civic engagement in Oklahoma micropolitan communities. She served as Oklahoma State Superintendent of Public Instruction from 2015 to 2023 and is president of JLH Group. ([1050forward.com](https://www.1050forward.com/leadership?utm_source=openai))

Local Networks Help Communities Turn Relationships Into Shared Opportunity

At Aspen Ideas: Economy in Tulsa, Tommy Loper of the Aspen Institute argues that communities can have many programs yet remain “systems poor” if the organizations behind them lack strong relationships. In a Tulsa nonprofit cohort, network mapping showed a 120% increase in collaborative links, 90% of them between organizations working together for the first time, Loper said. He argues that building these connections helps communities make better use of existing institutions and tackle shared problems.

The Aspen InstituteOct 26, 202611 min read