Conway2035 paints “ambitious smart” future for city’s “People & Places”

In July 2020, the Conway Area Chamber of Commerce convened a 13-person steering committee tasked with overseeing the creation of a new strategic plan for the Conway community. The effort had originally been scheduled to begin in March, but COVID-19 had put everything on hold. The only item on the agenda for this meeting was to decide whether or not it was possible to facilitate a strategic plan during a pandemic. “At the time, I was really conflicted,” Jamie Gates, executive vice conway2035president of the chamber, said. “I didn’t know if it was an appropriate PEOPLE & PLACES OF CONWAYtime to move forward. I was worried about participation. And I didn’t want the result to be a plan that focused on the trauma and uncertainty we were surrounded by. Thankfully, we already had an incredible steering committee in place for big decisions like this.”

The steering committee unanimously agreed that conwaythe effort should move forward. Not only in spite of the pandemic but, in some ways, because of it. 2035 PEOPLE & PLACES OF CONWAY

“It was an important moment when we heard committee members say that people needed an opportunity to imagine a better future and that the plan could bring the community together during a time of isolation,” Gates said.

During the fall of 2020, over 1,800 residents submitted surveys outlining what topics they thought should be included in a strategic plan. This was a 30% increase from a similar survey effort in 2010. The finished results were a ranking of more than 40 topics to consider for further planning. The steering committee ultimately reduced that list to 14 topics – seven topics each addressing the city’s “people” and “places.”

Over the next several months, approximately 300 residents participated in 60 goal-setting meetings via Zoom. The meetings were facilitated by the Winthrop Rockefeller Institute. The Rockefeller Institute’s mission is to “use former governor Winthrop Rockefeller’s collaborative approach to create transformational change.” In April, 50 Conway business, government, nonprofit, and civic leaders convened at the Institute on Petit Jean Mountain to refine the finished version of the plan. Winthrop Rockefeller Institute CEO Marta Lloyd said the process was a perfect fit for the organization’s mission. “The Institute brings people with a diverse set of opinions together to engage in respectful dialogue and collaborative problem solving that results in transformational change,” she said. “We’re inspired by the work of all involved and are confident the city and the Chamber will take seriously the goals their citizens have set for the next 15 years.” Conway Mayor Bart Castleberry said the plan is a “promise to the next generation of Conway residents.” “During the retreat at Petit Jean, one of the fears people kept bringing up was the threat of losing our kids and grandkids to other parts of the country,” Castleberry said. “But keeping them and bringing them back was also one of our brightest hopes. I think this plan describes a place that people will love for generations.” The finished plan, Conway2035, includes 141 goals divided among the 14 sectors. “We are extremely proud of the process and final plan,” said Brad Lacy, CEO of the Conway Area Chamber of Commerce. “These goals are every bit as ambitious, smart, and diverse as the people who set them. The planning – and doing – that comes from efforts like Conway2035 is what will determine the future of a place.”