Public Strategies was established in 1990 as a public relations and event-planning firm. Under the leadership of Mary Myrick, Public Strategies has grown from a one-woman operation to a comprehensive project management and communications firm with a staff of more than 150 professionals from diverse backgrounds and disciplines.
The journey from a small firm serving the Oklahoma City Cavalry professional basketball team to a large, multifaceted organization serving dozens of local, state and federal clients has been a fascinating one.
The unique path Public Strategies has charted means we have picked up insights from a wide range of professional arenas. After all, not everyone gets to traverse the varied realms of government, business, nonprofits, human services, professional sports and academia.
Among our flagship projects is the Oklahoma Marriage Initiative (OMI). In 1999, Public Strategies coordinated the governor’s Summit on Marriage. Building on that experience, Public Strategies became the only firm in the United States to develop and maintain a state-run, healthy marriage initiative. As the longest-running and most in-depth endeavor of its kind in the country, the OMI has opened other doors for Public Strategies to work with nonprofits, researchers and government on innovative strategies to strengthen families.
In 2006, Public Strategies was awarded the management contract for National Healthy Marriage Resource Center by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children & Families Office of Family Assistance (OFA), a resource that promotes the economic and social well-being of families, children, individuals and communities.
Aware of a higher than average unemployment rate and school drop-out rate, Public Strategies launched a comprehensive Promise Neighborhood initiative in northeast Oklahoma City (NEOKC) in 2009. Recognizing the need for integrated supports, Public Strategies began Green Jobs Central Oklahoma and brought relationship skill building services to NEOKC.
In 2010, Public Strategies brought its experiences in human services and communications to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children & Families, Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation (OPRE) research dissemination project. We worked with OPRE on how best to share lessons learned from federal research and evaluation projects with the broad field of social services.
With each new project and opportunity, Public Strategies continues to expand its reach. Our history is only the beginning as we continue to identify strategies to advance our clients’ work and enhance the lives of those around us.