Driving Change in Rural Oklahoma

Written by: Daniel Shields, USDA Rural Development, Office of External Affairs

The key to understanding Kenneth Corn’s vision for a rural Oklahoma that prospers, is first understanding his past. “I think back to how I was raised in a very rural community,” said Corn, a former Oklahoma State Senator and current Rural Development Oklahoma State Director. “I grew up in a family that was pretty poor, below the poverty level, and I think if we had successfully put Rural Development programs in place in some of these communities, I grew up in, things could have been a lot different in those places. These experiences have guided my philosophy of wanting to deliver meaningful results for hard-working Oklahoma people my entire professional career.”

Oklahoma has a diverse population, which can bring a unique set of challenges for a large part of the state. Not only do 35 percent of Oklahomans live in rural areas, according to the United States Census Bureau, but there are also 39 Native American Tribes in the state. The state has the highest percentage of self-identified Native Americans, with 14.2 percent of the population self-identifying as American Indian alone.

It may come as no surprise, then, that Corn is an advocate of listening to communities that have found success with Rural Development and communities that have yet to utilize the agency’s resources.

“I think the best thing we can do is try to go back and review where we are not servicing communities, find out why, and then try to design either the legislative fix or regulatory fix to make sure these communities are included,” Corn said. “I think that’s the next step for Rural Development—how do we create our programs to serve all rural communities, not just some? A great example of that is here in Oklahoma, where our State Office has been an advocate for the sovereignty of our Tribal Nations and has assisted in cutting through the bureaucratic red tape to bring RD programs to Oklahoma in a way that benefits rural populations and honoring our commitment of sovereignty to our Tribal partners.”

His philosophy has led to successful projects in the state. In the town of Guthrie, Rural Development provided $84,000 in Community Facilities Grant funding that helped Hope House, a nonprofit that provides shelter, food, clothing, and other services for community members in need. The grant has allowed the nonprofit to move into a larger building to support its growing shelter needs. Corn shared that he sees Hope House as an example of a project with an echoing impact.

“It’s all run by its residents,” he said. “They take responsibility for the upkeep and the operations of the facility. They also recognize that they are not just a recipient but must also give back. So, what they’ve done at this facility is they’ve started doing community events. They took a collection for kids in the community at Christmas so they could have gifts. I think that project tells you about the impact that Rural Development can have.  And it also tells you a lot about the character of rural people—people who have little realizing they have more than others and find a way to give to those less fortunate.”

Corn believes the future of rural Oklahoma matters, mainly for the same reasons he believes rural America matters now.

“All the important things in life come from rural communities,” he said. “The food we eat. The water we drink. Urban centers in America can’t exist or properly function without the hard work done by people who live, work, and raise families in rural America.”

He also believes rural America will soon see an explosion of growth, both demographically and economically. “I think rural America is poised to take a real leadership position because at our State Office in Oklahoma, we’ve seen people move back to rural areas. I think the changes that high-speed internet brings to rural communities will open up access to healthcare, education, and economic opportunities that we’ve never seen before. Rural Development is prepared to help make those investments in those communities.”

For now, the work of championing rural communities continues, and it’s work that Corn has found uniquely rewarding.

“This has been the most impactful thing I’ve done in my public service,” Corn said. “President Biden has directed federal agencies and political appointees that we best prosper when we deliver programs that grow our economy from the middle out and bottom up. We have seen this work first-hand here in Oklahoma where the President’s commitment to invest in low-income communities and providing Tribal Nations with impactful resources has made meaningful changes to Rural Oklahoma and in the very communities I’ve called home for all my life.”

One of the projects that is coming to fruition is the re-opening of a hospital in a small Southwest Oklahoma community called Frederick. When the hospital first closed, it created a healthcare desert and endangered the economic well-being of Frederick’s citizens, with local manufacturing becoming hesitant to expand. The project struggled to find footing until Rural Development stepped in to bring all parties together.

“The President strongly believes that your zip code shouldn’t determine your access to quality care, and I share that commitment. When former Speaker Loyd Benson reached out to me for help, I made a commitment that we would get this project moving forward. Now, with the help of Congressman Tom Cole, State Representative Trey Caldwell, and the Biden Administration, this hospital is becoming a reality because of a true bipartisan effort.”

Since the start of the Biden Administration, Rural Development has invested $2.8 billion in rural Oklahoma communities. That includes $923.4 million in rural housing programs, $630.9 million in rural electric programs, $422.4 million in telecommunication programs, and $189.3 million for clean and accessible drinking water.

“I don’t think there’s any better job than to be a State Director at Rural Development because you get to work with a dedicated team, and you get to sit down with communities and figure out how to solve their problems, and it’s real,” Corn emphasized. “It’s not abstract. You see it with the completion of every project and in the very faces of the people we are uplifting.”