Regional Visioning Work Moves Forward
Vision 2020 reaches out to 10-county region
Fort Wayne, Ind. - Tuesday, March. 16, 2010
The Vision 2020 Coordinating Group, comprised of leaders from across the 10-county Northeast Indiana region, held its third session March 10 as it continues the work of the Vision 2020 process aimed at improving the vitality of Northeast Indiana's regional economy.
The group continually receives community input from the Vision 2020 process and is working to identify immediate and long-term strategies to support a fully-implementable vision for the region. The latest meeting reviewed contributions from focus group interviews and regional outreach meetings conducted in February and March.
In February, more than 200 leaders from across the region participated in interviews conducted by ACP Visioning+Planning and Team Kolzow, Inc., facilitators for the Coordinating Group and visioning process. Members of manufacturing, financial, agribusiness, sustainability, healthcare, education and various other sectors, as well as students from area high schools, created "must have" lists for strategies to be included in the region as it moves forward with Vision 2020.
From March 8 to March 12 a series of regional outreach meetings in each of the 10 participating counties drew nearly 400 total participants to work with results from the February interviews. The community leaders prioritized and strategized tactics for improving the region in each of the five focus areas of competitive business climate, infrastructure, quality of place, entrepreneurship and 21st century talent. Discussions and activities helped to further develop a vision for the Northeast Indiana region.
Vision 2020 will continue in April and May as the Coordinating Group collects input from each focus area. The process will conclude on June 23, 2010 with the Regional Economic Summit at the Grand Wayne Center. All are encouraged to attend and help shape the region's future.
The 27-member Vision 2020 Coordinating Group held its initial meeting in January. The participating counties include Adams, Allen, DeKalb, Huntington, LaGrange, Noble, Steuben, Wabash, Wells and Whitley. The Coordinating Group will continue to provide updates to keep the public informed of progress and outcomes.
Contact:
Mark Becker, Executive Director
Northeast Indiana Foundation
260.469.3479
mark@northeastindiana.org
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About Vision 2020: Vision 2020 is a process to develop a vision for the ten-county Northeast Indiana region aimed at shaping the vitality of the regional economy. Immediate and long-term strategies will be focused on the following objectives: competitive business climate; 21st century talent; quality of place, infrastructure; and entrepreneurship. Funding support for Vision 2020 is being provided by: the Northeast Indiana Corporate Council; the Northeast Indiana Foundation; the Cole Foundation; the Community Foundation of Greater Fort Wayne; the Dekko Foundation; the English Bonter Mitchell Foundation; the Robert Goldstine Foundation; the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation; and the Lincoln Financial Foundation.
About the Northeast Indiana Foundation: The Northeast Indiana Foundation's mission is to support the Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership and its ten member counties through the funding and coordination of charitable activities which directly contribute to increasing the region's capacity to support new business investment and the creation of high quality jobs for the region. |