Founder of Local Company Spearheads 200Columbus

ACP Visioning+Planning Principal Jamie Greene shares his passion for Ohio’s capital city

By Carly Kohake

Columbus is turning the big 2-0-0 and Jamie Greene is glad to be a part of the momentous occasion. Originally hired to work with the newly formed Bicentennial Commission in 2007, Greene has gained more than just another line for his already-extensive resume.

“Community leaders, including Mayor Coleman and the Bicentennial Commission, saw the opportunity to use this moment in time for more than marking an historical milestone,” Greene says. “They saw an opportunity to create a platform for greater community engagement that could lead to a more robust civic infrastructure, one of the key attributes of a prosperous and sustainable community.”

And Green and his company, ACP Visioning+Planning, Ltd., are working hard to capitalize on that opportunity. ACP has bases in both Grandview Heights and New York City. The firm “helps communities – cities, counties, regions – realize their potential through deliberate civic engagement and rigorous technical analysis on topics of growth and development.”

Though ACP has worked with many clients across the country, Greene says that the company “loves being in Grandview, especially our location. In many ways, it represents an ideal community.”

When it comes to Columbus’ bicentennial celebration, 200Columbus, the enthusi- astic spirit with which Columbus has welcomed the project astounds Greene. “My firm has worked in many other large markets around the country and I have never seen a greater collaborative spirit than we find in Columbus today,” Greene says. Green, program manager for the Bicentennial Commission, says his hope for the celebration is that it betters Columbus locally and globally. “The goal for 200Columbus is a community that is more inspired, proud and engaged in their progress and the increasing vitality of Columbus,” he says. “This will lead to a community that is better recognized locally and globally as one of the best places to live and work.”

Greene recently led a session at the 2011 TEDX Columbus event that explored the need for the community to get on board with the city’s bicentennial celebration. In his talk, Greene explained that Columbus has so much to be proud of that there wasn’t a need to create anything new for the celebration. He and his team simply had to find ways to highlight the amazing and unique attributes that Columbus already has, that may have been forgotten about and reveal them to the entire community. Greene admits coordinating all of the events can at times be stressful, but it also offers many great rewards that he would not have gotten if he had not been a part of this project. “The inspiration that comes from working with so many talented, smart and caring human beings that comprise our community,” Greene says is his favorite part. “The goodwill and determination is palpable. It all continues to be a great privilege.”