October 2011____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 11
it had not been achieved before this. But almost all see the efficiencies and the capacity this proposed new organization brings to the table. Many expressed excitement and increased optimism for the potential benefit to the region.
the right people at the table,” says Olejniczak. part of the success of this initiative. You always e right people to drive even the best ideas.” Focus matters.
Many have asked, what becomes of the individual entity’s primary focus? Will we lose focus on downtown development, or manufacturing jobs and job creation? While still in the planning and structuring phase, we know this: business brings jobs. Jobs create prosperity. Prosperity feeds and drives the region and people’s needs are as large a part of retaining the workforce as are the jobs themselves. The new organization will maintain its focus on business, and expand its economic development focus beyond our traditional sectors, while recognizing the importance of the downtown core and nurturing that as an economic center that should be grown and cultivated carefully, with a mix of business, residential and amenities that create the urban core of the region.
Much to be done.
In the next few months, much will happen, both in the public eye and behind the scenes. The first, very public show of solidarity between the three organizations will be the Joint Annual Meeting: Stronger Together, on November 1. (See page 19 for details) This first public exercise in collaboration comes on the heels of months of work presenting to small groups, holding joint staff, board and committee meetings and the legal and organizational research and work that have gotten us this far. However, with a few months remaining and much organizational visioning and planning to go, we need the input of all our individual base constituencies to provide input, ask questions, challenge us to find strong solutions and become a part of the process of this historic uniting of community focused organizations at a time when our region is poised to experience exponential growth. In order to gather that input, we encourage all to attend any of our Business Input Sessions scheduled in October. Input from the base constituency of all three organizations is critical as we move forward. See page 13 for a list of dates and locations for these important events and plan to attend and let your voice and expertise be a part of the momentum we are building as a region. To read the original announcement and find future correspondences and articles, visit www.strongertogetherCR.blogspot.com.