The Oklahoma Veterans Commission has selected Sallisaw as the home to Oklahoma’s newest Veterans Center, becoming the successor to the current facility being operated in Talihina.
At their October 26th meeting in Oklahoma City, the Veterans Commission considered proposals from Muskogee, Poteau and Sallisaw. These communities were chosen from six responses received after the Commission solicited proposals for the relocation of the Talihina Veterans Center back in June of this year. After spending several hours in executive session, the commission returned to open session and voted 7-1 to select Sallisaw as the new location.
Sallisaw Mayor Ernie Martens was elated at the selection of Sallisaw. “This project will mean so much to our Veterans, the State of Oklahoma and the community of Sallisaw. Our community partners and city staff worked many hours on our proposal and presentations. This was truly a team effort. Any of the three finalists would have been an excellent home for the new facility, but our proposed property, its location to I-40, and other incentives set us apart from the other proposals. We are very happy with our selection, but most importantly, it was a decision made with the best interest of the Veterans and their families in mind.”