Brent Kisling has worked in Economic Development for over 20 years Following a time advising Oklahoma Senator Jim Inhofe on rural economic development issues, he became the Oklahoma State Director for USDA Rural Development. In this role, he managed the rural business, rural utilities, and rural housing programs for the agency and learned how economic development works in rural America.
After his service at USDA, he became a local Economic Development professional in Enid, Oklahoma where he helped close the largest project in Oklahoma history with Koch Industries and helped build the retail base by over 15%. The success he found in Enid catapulted him to service again, but this time with the State of Oklahoma.
In 2019, he was appointed as the Director of the Oklahoma Department of Commerce. During his time at Commerce, he was able to manage the business and community growth efforts of the state during historic floods, economic challenges, and a worldwide pandemic. He was able to bridge strong relationships with the communities across the state and close some of the largest projects Oklahoma had ever seen. After stepping down from the Department of Commerce in 2023, he joined Retail Attractions as a partner with Rickey Hayes to continue helping build communities.
Brent lives with his wife Jennifer in Enid, Oklahoma. They are very proud of the fact that both of their children’s families also reside in Oklahoma due to the opportunities available to them