Dr. James C. Collard
Director of Planning and Economic Development
Citizen Potawatomi Nation
Dr. James C. Collard is specially qualified to roll out the many opportunities for Inter-tribal trade that the Citizen Potawatomi Nation (CPN) has on offer via its new Foreign Trade Zone, Iron Horse Industrial Park.
The CPN’s Foreign Trade Zone (FTZ) is proving to be an unparalled means of developing trade ties with other tribal nations around the world. It is a major attractor of global investment and industry. To find out more, attend one of Dr. Collard’s presentations at our IITIO events. Dr. Collard is always delighted to guide trade-ready tribal businesses inside beautiful Citizen Potawatomi Nation country. Dr. Collard and his colleagues escort invited guests on full tours of CPN’s FTZ, businesses, and Cultural Center.
For more information on International trade opportunities offered through the Citizen Potawatomi Nation’s Iron Horse Industrial Park Foreign Trade Zone, visit http://www.ironhorsecpn.com/ or speak directly with Ms. Courtney Palmer, CPN Economic Development and Business Development Specialist, at (405) 275-3121.
Dr. James C. Collard holds a Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Missouri – St. Louis, as well as a Master of Public Administration from the University of Oklahoma. He currently serves as Director of Planning and Economic Development for the Citizen Potawatomi Nation, and is a past Board member for the Oklahoma State Chamber of Commerce. He is also a member of the CPN Community Development Corporation Small Loan Review Committee. Along with his work in economic development, Dr. Collard lectures in regional and urban planning as Adjunct Professor at the University of Oklahoma.
Dr. Collard is a member of the International Economic Development Council Board of Directors.
He is a member of the Board of Directors of the Forum for International Trade Training (FITT).
Dr. Collard has recently had the honor of being appointed to serve as a member of the Intergovernmental Policy Advisory Committee, Office of the United States Trade Representative.
At the annual Oklahoma Supreme Court Sovereignty Symposiums, Dr. Collard leads discussion panels on Tribal Economic Development. He has long been a passionate advocate for economic development in Indian Country, and his panel discussions with high profile speakers are always among the best-attended OSCSS events. In 2016, at the 48th Oklahoma Supreme Court Sovereignty Symposium, Dr. Collard was presented with the prestigious Friend of the Court Award for his significant contribution to the Supreme Court of Oklahoma. This special event is hosted by the Oklahoma Supreme Court “to provide a forum in which ideas concerning common legal issues can be exchanged in a scholarly, non-adversarial environment.” The Friend of the Court Award is presented to an individual who is not a lawyer, but who has staunchly supported the efforts and principles demonstrated at the Oklahoma Supreme Court Sovereignty Symposium. Previous recipients of the Friend of the Court include the Honorable Bill Anoatubby, Governor of the Chickasaw Nation, Chief Jim Cox and former state legislators Enoch Kelly Haney, Cal Hobson, Jim Glover, Neil Chapman, Stuart Osler and Paul Haley.
In 2014, Dr. Collard was appointed Chair of the Oklahoma Governor’s International Team, and also served as Chair of the International Economic Development Council’s Public Policy Action Committee.
James C. Collard was City Manager for the City of Shawnee, Oklahoma from 2004 to 2008.
Dr. Jim Collard has also served devotedly for many years as the loved, trusted, and awe-inspiring Chief of the Tribal Police Department of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation.
