LUBBOCK, Texas (KCBD) – The South Plains Association of Governments has opened a new facility on Indiana Avenue inside the South Loop, allowing the regional organization to house all its programs under one roof for the first time.
SPAG has served the South Plains since 1967, providing infrastructure support, economic development and social services across the region. Executive Director Kelly Criswell said the association’s work touches daily life in ways residents may not realize.
“We do everything from infrastructure, so when people turn on the tap in a rural community, we probably have had something to do with it,” Criswell said. “Roads are huge and important, and transit, we manage so many different things that impact the citizens of the South Plains and they probably don’t even realize we do it,” Criswell said.
Programs and services
SPAG operates several key programs including its Area Agency on Aging, which provides assistance to individuals over age 60, and 2-1-1 Texas, which provides information about local resources. The association also runs a law enforcement academy that prepares people for careers in law enforcement and an economic development program that impacts small businesses.
The new facility has enabled SPAG to expand its training capabilities and host larger events.
“We now have the ability to do trainings either in conjunction with the small business development center or on our own for different people,” Criswell said. “We housed the South Plains homeless consortium yesterday, they met here for the first time, we had a West Texas small business summit where we had hundreds of business come through, and then like I said, our academy, being able to bring them under one roof is just something we have never been able to do before,” Criswell said.
Economic impact
Criswell said SPAG’s biggest impact has been on local business development.
“We have been able to create or retain thousands of jobs throughout the South Plains and West Texas,” Criswell said. “But most importantly we have been able to help small businesses get over the hump and achieve their dreams of owning real property, starting a small business, so our portfolio is so much more than just numbers,” Criswell said.
Criswell encourages community members to contact SPAG for assistance with various needs.
“I think the most important thing is to know we’re a resource, we’re a resource for our city and counties, we’re a resource for the direct public,” Criswell said. “We have so many different programs that are important in the lives of residents in the South Plains, and we want to be just that, a resource for anyone who needs it,” Criswell said.
To see what services and programs Spag offers, click here.
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