2022 NADO Awards

Land of Sky Regional Council

Livable Appalachia Summit 20

 Website 

Project Partners: AARP (staff and volunteers); North Carolina Association of Area Agencies on Aging (NC4A); Councils of Governments in Western North Carolina including both Economic and Community Development and Area Agency on Aging leads

Summary: The Livable Appalachia Summit 20 was a free four-part series of virtual presentations and discussions to develop communities in the Land of Sky region to vibrantly support aging safely, affordably, and well. Staff from Land of Sky Regional Council actively participated on the planning committee and presented as well as moderated events and facilitated discussions. More than four hundred people attended the sessions which informed communities on how to improve quality of life in transportation, housing, broadband, and economic growth. Topics covered touched not only on the older adult population but also folks of all ages, improving quality of life for all. The Council collaborated with multiple agencies across three states in the Central Appalachia region to bring the Summit to life, and now plans to add another discussion focused around rural health based on feedback from the event.

Lumber River Council of Governments

Back to School Support for Grandparents

 Website 

Project Partners: Lumber River Council of Governments Area Agency on Aging

Summary: As schools within the Lumber River region restarted in-person learning following the COVID-19 pandemic, the Lumber River Council of Governments’ Area Agency on Aging’s Family Caregiver program realized the great need that existed for our region’s older adults who are raising their grandchildren. The region’s grandparents who are raising their grandchildren faced multiple financial hardships in preparing for the return of in-person learning. In response, the Council created the Back to School Support for Grandparents program to assist these individuals with purchasing school supplies and food for their grandchildren. Using CARES Act funding, the Council was able to provide more than $25,000 to serve 52 grandparents and 157 children. Supporting older adults is a crucial part of the Council’s portfolio in a region with a disproportionately large population of older adults with limited financial means. The implementation of the Back to School Support for Grandparents program helped to improve the region’s economic development through the provision of key educational supplies for children while reducing the financial burden faced by their grandparents.

Mid-Carolina Regional Council

Mid-Carolina Senior Games

 Website 

Project Partners: Fayetteville-Cumberland Parks & Recreation; Hope Mills Parks & Recreation; John D Fuller Sr. Recreational Athletic Complex; Spring Lake Parks & Recreation; Harnett County Parks & Recreation; Erwin Parks & Recreation; Clinton Parks & Recreation; Sampson County Parks & Recreation; Cumberland County Council on Older Adults; Harnett County Dept. of Public Health-Division on Aging; Sampson County Dept. of Aging; Campbell University; Fayetteville YMCA; Kings Grant Golf and Country Club; Methodist University; Humana; Care Access

Summary: The Mid-Carolina Senior Games, held annually in the spring, is part of a network of 53 local games that provide statewide health promotion and wellness programs for older adults. The local games give senior residents of Cumberland, Harnett, and Sampson Counties the opportunity to participate in sporting events and Silver Arts. In addition to more than 25 sporting events, the Silver Arts offer categories in visual arts, literary arts, heritage arts, and the performing arts. Mid-Carolina Regional Council receives funding from 3 counties to implement the local senior games and employs the local coordinator. After two years of virtual events, the games were held in person in 2022 and attracted more than 200 participants. The Council sponsors the games to support the region’s older adults through fitness opportunities and community-building.

Northeast Florida Regional Council

2022 Overdose Summit

 Website 

Project Partners: Project Opioid Jax; Drug Free Duval; Florida Department of Health; Community Coalition Alliance; Drug Enforcement Administration; UF Health; Gateway Community Services; Prevention Coalition of St. Johns County; Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department; Region 3 Healthcare Coalition Alliance; Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, Ascension, Fresh Ministries; Clay County Fire and Rescue; Florida Poison Control Center Jacksonville; SMA Healthcare; ACE Medical; Health Planning Council of Northeast Florida

Summary: The Northeast Florida Regional Council (NEFRC) held an educational summit in March 2022 to share information and best practices, bringing together community partners from across the Northeast Florida region in response to the on-going drug overdose crisis. The Summit was designed to educate and allow partners to share information across a variety of organizations, from law enforcement to community treatment centers. It identified the region's strengths and areas for improvement in addressing the crisis, with a particular focus placed on Fentanyl. NEFRC staff designed the program, invited speakers, conducted outreach, and ultimately was able to serve 120 participants in addition to presenters and vendors.

Piedmont Triad Regional Council

COVID-19 Vaccine, Testing, and Education Access for Older Adults

 Website 

Project Partners: NCDHHS; Insight Human Services of Stokes; Second Harvest Food Bank; senior centers across the region; LifeBrite Community Hospital of Stokes; Disability Rights of NC

Summary: The Piedmont Triad Regional Council’s COVID-19 Vaccine, Testing, and Education Access for Older Adults program was implemented in response to the shock of the pandemic and the particular vulnerability faced by homebound older adults. The agency provided residents across its 12-county region with access to COVID-19 drive-thru vaccination clinics, education on the virus and vaccinations, and at-home COVID-19 tests, and provided homebound older adults, statewide across 100 counties, the opportunity to receive their COVID-19 vaccinations in their home, all free-of-charge. Through these services, the Council assisted this vulnerable population with protection from the deadly virus while encouraging members to continue to stay active in the community. The project fulfilled the Council’s mandate to improve quality of life for residents and make the region a healthy, safe place for all populations.

Santee-Lynches Regional Council of Governments

Regional COVID Educational Campaign

 Website 

Project Partners: SCDOA; DHEC; Clarendon County Council on Aging; Kershaw County Council on Aging; Lee County Council on Aging; Sumter Senior Services; Delaine Community Center; Cherryvale Community Center; Catchall-Shaw Community Center

Summary: The Regional COVID Educational Campaign was an effort by the Santee-Lynches Regional Council of Governments to encourage the region’s older adults to get vaccinated against COVID-19. Nine events were held in total, engaging more than 400 seniors and vaccinating 33. At each event, experts were on hand to answer questions about pandemic safety and vaccine efficacy. The Council convened nine key public and private partners to organize the events after receiving a grant from the state to host them. As part of a comprehensive series of public engagement efforts, the Council was able to reach residents from all backgrounds and of all ages to provide education and resources about the COVID-19 vaccine.

South Plains Association of Governments

Uniting Resources Against Senior Hunger

 Website 

Project Partners: SPAG Area Agency on Aging; United Family; Bailey County Commissioners Court; Bailey County Senior Citizens Association, Inc.; Cochran County Senior Citizens Association, Inc.; Crosby County Senior Citizens Association, Inc.; Garza County Trailblazers, Inc.; Hale Center Senior Citizens Association, Inc.; Hockley County Senior Citizens Association, Inc.; Lorenzo Senior Citizens Association, Inc.; City of Lubbock-Mae Simmons, Copper Rawlings, Maggie Trejo, Homestead, Lubbock Senior Center; Senior Citizens Association of South Dickens County; Slaton Senior Citizens Association, Inc.; Yoakum County Senior Citizens Association, Inc.

Summary: Uniting Resources Against Senior Hunger is a program sponsored by the South Plains Association of Governments to provide food and financial assistance for senior citizens on the South Plains with CARES Act funding. The program launched in August of 2020, when the Association learned that some seniors were struggling to access food due to over-crowding at grocery stores or being too high-risk for COVID-19 to do their shopping. In response, they identified at-risk seniors, conducted intakes into the program, and provided services to ensure that their nutritional needs were being met. The project attracted local media attention, raising awareness about the services to more seniors in the area. During its first year, more than 350 seniors were served.

Three Rivers Regional Commission

Partnership with PCHP, LLC powered by Ground Game Health

 Website 

Project Partners: TRAAA’s ADRC; Friends of Disabled Adult and Children (FODAC)

Summary: Statistics show that rural counties experience greater disparities in healthcare services and access to community resources. In Georgia, the Three Rivers Regional Commission is working to lessen those disparities through a partnership with Preferred Community Health Partners to provide care coordination services for residents marginalized by social determinants of health. Care coordinators at the Commission receive and process referrals and identify service gaps to providing community resources. Since 2019, they have processed nearly 1,000 monthly referrals, connecting people with resources that decrease the long-term costs of poor healthcare access while improving quality of life for those served.

Triangle J Council of Governments 

COVID-19 Outreach and Education Initiative

 Website 

Project Partners: Jewish Family Services; Disability Rights NC; Durham Center for Senior Life; Meals on Wheels of Wake, Durham, Orange, Moore; Community and Senior Services of Johnston County; Careyaya; Wake County Health Department; Lee County Enrichment Center; All Councils on Aging within Region J; El Refugio; El Centro Hispano; Wake, Durham, Chatham Public Health Departments; New Home and Durham Missionary Baptist Association; Vaccine Ambassadors; Durham Public Library; Greater Waltown Gospel Church; Raleigh East Village; Resources for Seniors; Interfaith Food Shuttle; NC Reading Service; Fiesta Christiana; NCDHHS; Chatham Health Alliance; Human Services Consulting Group – Orange County Vaccine Distribution; Johnston Network on Aging; ACCORD Project at NCCU; Sister Circle of Wake County; Area Agencies on Aging across all North Carolina Regions; Health Equity Council of Orange County; Regional Advisory Council on Aging; Health Literacy for Wake County; Chatham and Wake CRC; Regional Advisory Council on Aging; Senior Tarheel Legislator; The Center for Volunteer Caregiving; Chatham Council on Aging; Community Health Coalition; Durham Center for Senior Life; El Pueblo; Iglesia La Semilla; Meals on Wheels of Wake County; Moore County Department of Aging; Southeastern Wake Adult Day Center; Triangle Empowerment Center; W.A.R.4Life

Summary: The Triangle J Council of Government’s Area Agency on Aging recognized the importance of COVID-19 vaccinations for maintaining the health of older adults in their seven-county North Carolina region. In response, it developed the COVID-19 Outreach and Education Initiative to increase access to and education of COVID-19 vaccines for those who are unable to leave home, elderly adults, and their caregivers. A myriad of outreach and educational activities were conducted in the seven-county area to reach individuals who are homebound with approved messaging and educational materials, including information about the state of NC’s at-home vaccination program. Moreover, the Council created a COVID-19 Outreach and Education mini-grant program to provide 11 small community organizations and local governments with funding to conduct their own outreach initiatives. These were funded to increase the uptake of COVID-19 vaccinations in the target populations through intimate and trusted outreach within more marginalized and underserved communities. To date, this project has contributed to the successful COVID-19 vaccination of over 1,300 individuals, about 800 of whom are homebound.

Upper Coastal Plain Council of Governments

Resilient Leaders Initiative

 Website 

Project Partners: Rural Opportunities Institute

Summary: The Resilient Leaders Initiative is a nine-month accelerator program that provides resources and expertise to public agencies in rural communities who are seeking to support healing from trauma and stress. The Upper Coastal Plain Council of Governments developed the program in collaboration with the Rural Opportunity Institute to improve quality of life in the region by cultivating resiliency in residents. It specifically targets older caregivers who have guardianship over children whose parents are no longer able to care for them. These individuals often struggle to manage the needs of their family while engaging in productive lives in the community. To date, the program is in phase two of the design process and plans to implement the finalized program design through meetings, trainings, and events across the region.

West Alabama Regional Commission

BE WELL West Alabama Healthcare Locator Map

 Website 

Project Partners: Area Agency on Aging of West Alabama

Summary: The BE WELL West Alabama Healthcare Locator is a GIS-based interactive map used to quickly locate healthcare resources throughout the seven-county region. The tool, a brainchild of the regional commission’s planning efforts around CARES Act funds, allows the region’s residents to search a variety of healthcare services using an interactive online mapping application developed with ESRI ArcGIS software. The categories include Hospitals; Health Clinics; COVID Test Sites; COVID Vaccination Sites; Senior Centers; Dialysis Clinics; Substance Use Treatment; Mental Health Care; and Dental, Hearing, and Vision. Symbols for each category appear at site locations on the map and can be opened to show the site address, phone, website, and important notes. The West Alabama Regional Commission has been working in collaboration with the local Area Agency on Aging to develop a tutorial and information campaign to bring awareness of the tool to the area’s residents.

South Plains Association of Governments

SPAG CORE - COVID Relief RLF Financing

Website

Project Partners: EDA; Caprock Business Finance Corporation

Summary: SPAG CORE was launched as a multi-regional EDA Revolving Loan Fund to assist small businesses suffering from the impact of COVID-19 across 3 district regions in Texas. To date, more than $4 million has been loaned in the SPAG region to 37 small businesses, helping them access critical working capital to retain employees and maintain their business during the early impact of the pandemic. Additionally, 20 businesses in the Panhandle and Permian Basin regions have been funded a total $1.9 million. The South Plains Association of Governments administers the EDA-funded program and has underwritten, awarded, and serviced all loans funded to date.

Southwest New Mexico Council of Governments

CO.STARTERS

Website

Project Partners: Catron County; Grant County; Luna County; City of Bayard; Town of Silver City; City of Deming; City of Lordsburg; Deming-Luna County MainStreet; Deming-Luna County Economic Development Corporation; Deming-Luna County Chamber of Commerce; Silver City-Grant County Chamber of Commerce; Silver City MainStreet; Bayard Library; The Commons; Grant County Juvenile Justice Office; Future Forge; swNMACT

Summary: CO.STARTERS is an entrepreneur ecosystem developed by the Southwest New Mexico Council of Governments to help diversify the regional economy by providing mentorship, peer networks, and access to resources. The ten-week program brings together entrepreneurs for sessions with business owners, lawyers, accountants, and other professionals that provide realistic trainings and assessments of business viability. Developed using grant money from EDA during the COVID-19 pandemic, the program has served 120 participants to date and created at least 62 small businesses. Notably, three of the businesses are run by teen entrepreneurs and three patents are currently pending as the result of participation in the program. The Southwest New Mexico Council of Governments created CO.STARTERS in collaboration with a range of regional partners, leveraging its position as a trusted collaborator to create momentum for development in this rural region’s economy.

Centralina Regional Council

Centralina Regional Dialogues Series

 Website 

Project Partners: Atrium Health; Cabarrus Chamber of Commerce; Cabarrus Economic Development Commission; Catawba Riverkeeper Foundation; Centralina Area Agency on Aging; Centralina Board of Delegates; Centralina Economic Development District Board; Centralian Workforce Development Board; Charlotte Regional Business Alliance; City of Albemarle; City of Charlotte; City of Gastonia; City of Kannapolis; City of Kings Mountain; City of Statesville; Davidson Lands Conservancy; Gaston Business Association; Gaston College; Gaston-Cleveland-Lincoln Metropolitan Planning Organization; International House; Iredell Economic Development Commission; Lake Norman Economic Development Commission; Lincoln Economic Development Association; Mecklenburg County Air Quality; Mecklenburg County Solid Waste; Mecklenburg County Stormwater; Mecklenburg Metropolitan Interfaith Network; Novant Health; Pineville Neighbors; Refugee Support Services; Representative Hudson's Office; Rider Transit; Rowan Cabarrus Community College; Rowan Economic Development Commission; South Piedmont Community College; Stanly County; Stanly Economic Development Commission; Statesville Chamber of Commerce; Town of Huntersville; Town of Matthews; Town of Mooresville; Union County; Urbane Environments; YMCA of Greater Charlotte

Summary: The Regional Dialogues Series was a purposeful engagement process developed by the Centralina Regional Council to build new and nurture existing regional relationships amid the disruption caused by COVID-19. Recognizing that the pandemic was threatening economic resilience and quality of life in the rapidly growing region, the Council set out to engage in conversations that would inform their three-year strategic plan and CEDS update. The Series included 11 focus groups with more than 60 participants comprised of local government staff and elected officials, the Centralina Regional Managers group, economic development commission and chamber of commerce staff, college and university staff, and faith community and non-profit leaders. Between the focus groups and existing meetings, Centralina engaged close to 300 people representing different backgrounds and interests from across the Charlotte region. The conversations affirmed critical regional issues, raised awareness of emerging challenges, and re-engaged stakeholders who had lost contact with each other during the pandemic.

East Texas Council of Governments

Regional Solutions Reports

 Website 

Project Partners: East Texas Council of Governments

Summary: Though councils of governments provide many valuable services that benefit localities, it is not always clear to those localities that there are specific, measurable deliverables received in exchange for paying their dues. In response to this communications disconnect, the East Texas Council of Governments developed annual Regional Solutions Reports that it delivers to localities to demonstrate the results of the COG's work each year. The reports are designed to communicate in clear language the specific services provided by the Council to each individual locality that it serves. Moreover, each year’s reports are be archived online so that communities can see a multi-year snapshot of the Council’s work. The Solutions Reports support the Council’s vision for economic development and improved quality of life by documenting and sharing the actual impact it makes in every area it serves.

Great Falls Development Authority

Use of Videos to Enhance Economic Development Impact

 Website 

Project Partners: Great Falls Montana Tourism; DCI; Clients, Investors & Partners

Summary: For many years, staff at the Great Falls Development Authority were hesitant to get involved in using videos for marketing, fearing the exorbitant cost and staff time that have challenged other organizations. However, its recent success with building out the capacity to quickly and inexpensively produce videos has greatly enhanced the EDO’s ability to serve as a marketing partner for regional stakeholders and increase the impact of its own economic development efforts. Starting with simple cell phone videos, staff slowly increased production values over time and now create professional-quality videos highlighting the impact of organizations across the region and marketing the community to workers and firms. Developing video capacity has proven that a small economic development organization can cost effectively (and staff time effectively) enhance its marketing and communications to raise awareness, build excitement, generate leads for economic development products and services, and help raise financial support and volunteer engagement.

Great Falls Development Authority

Great Falls Montana Economic Development Top 10

 Website 

Project Partners: Great Falls Development Authority

Summary: The Great Falls Montana Economic Development Top 10 is a weekly newsletter produced by the Great Falls Development Authority to highlight regional successes, advertise events, and share statistical information about the regional economy. Over the course of more than 500 episodes, the weekly newsletter has grown to reach 15,000 leaders across Montana and beyond. The newsletter is the most effective means of communication for the organization, resulting in news stories, client acquisitions, and reposts on social media from local businesses and organizations that get highlighted each week. In effect, it creates a virtuous cycle of engagement with partners and advertising the region’s strengths. Moreover, it has helped the Authority develop, maintain, and strengthen relationships with business and community leaders, partners, and agencies that work together to serve its clients.

Middle Georgia Regional Commission

Middle Georgia Regional Leadership Champions

 Website 

Project Partners: JW Fanning Institute of the University of Georgia; US Department of Defense Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation (OLDCC); Georgia Power

Summary: The Middle Georgia Regional Leadership Champions (MGRLC) program is a collaborative effort of the Middle Georgia Regional Commission that offers an advanced, one-of-a-kind leadership development opportunity to facilitate individual and regional competencies around strategic goals and priorities. Since starting in 2015 with funding from the US Department of Defense, program participants have played a vital part in establishing a foundation for the region to collectively respond to and prepare for future growth needs and challenges. Five cohorts have completed the program to date, creating a pipeline of regional leaders that champion inclusive economic development in the Middle Georgia region.

Santee-Lynches Regional Council of Governments

High Five 2 Change - Back-to-School Jamboree

 Website 

Project Partners: Sumter County Civic Center; Prisma Health; SCDHEC; Walmart; Five Below; KFC; Arby’s; Pilgrim’s Pride

Summary: The High Five 2 Change - Back-to-School Jamboree was a collaborative effort led by the Santee-Lynches Regional Council of Governments to equip children to return to school safely during the pandemic by providing school supplies, COVID-19 vaccinations, and information about safe behaviors. The Jamboree, which included keynote speakers from various health organizations, distributed dozens of backpacks with school supplies and vaccinated more than fifty children. The Santee-Lynches Regional Council of Governments organized, funded, and advertised the event, bringing together residents from across the four-county region in an effort to raise its distressing low vaccination rate. Events like the Jamboree are part of the Council’s overall portfolio of services aimed at raising quality of life for residents in the region.

Sweetgrass Development

Beyond The Pandemic: Surveying and Training Northcentral Montana's Business Community

 Website 

Project Partners: Glacier County Regional Port Authority; Native American Community Development Corporation Financial Services; Wendy Weissman, CPA; Montana Department of Transportation Small Business Enterprise; KRose Consulting; Montana Department of Livestock; City of Shelby; Shelby Area Chamber of Commerce; Conrad Area Chamber of Commerce; Choteau Chamber of Commerce; Cut Bank Area Chamber of Commerce

Summary: At the one-year anniversary of the initial COVID-19 shutdowns, Sweetgrass Development, the regional economic development partner for North-Central Montana, workshopped and distributed a needs assessment survey to the region’s business community in order to better understand needs and develop training programs. Surveyed businesses reported increased optimism about surviving the pandemic-induced disruptions to commerce and that their needs had moved from baseline survival to marketing and financial management. With that in mind, Sweetgrass Development assembled a curriculum of business workshops, both virtual and in-person, along with a roster of instructors and partners to teach skills in a supportive forum where established and entry-level entrepreneurs could learn from each other. Forums strengthened relationships with stakeholders in the region and laid the groundwork for future collaborations.

Mid-Minnesota Development Commission 

Multilingual Journalism Project

 Website 

Project Partners: Ridgewater Community College – Customized Training and Continuing Education; Willmar Area Community Foundation; University of Minnesota – Extension (Rural Sustainability Development Program); Pioneer Public Television; West Central Tribune; United Community Action Partnership; Pact for Families Collaborative; Willmar Public Schools – Area Learning Center; Kandiyohi County and City of Willmar Economic Development Commission; Willmar Somali TV – Leila Ismail; Willmar Public Library; Glencoe Public Library; Hutchinson Public Library; Litchfield Public Library; Southwest Initiative Foundation; MinnWest Technology Campus

Summary: The Multi-Lingual Journalism Project teaches bilingual individuals in Willmar, Minnesota the skills needed to convey important community information in languages beyond English through spoken and video formats. Various Willmar-focused organizations have identified English limitations as a significant barrier to equity in housing, employment, and education. Increased dissemination of news and other important items in Somali, Spanish, and Karenic was identified as a key strategy for overcoming those information inequities. All participants of the Multilingual Journalism Project develop a foundational understanding of the journalism processes and ethics to connect New Americans to important information. Participants are also introduced to area agencies and organizations who traditionally struggle with language barriers, helping to build and strengthen community relationships that have led to increased information distribution. The Mid-Minnesota Development Commission (MMDC) partnered to develop, deliver, and evaluate this project.

Association of Central Oklahoma Governments

ACOG Community Economic Resiliency Initiative (CERI) Program

 Website 

Project Partners: Oklahoma Main Street Center; University of Oklahoma Institute for Quality Communities

Summary: The Community Economic Resiliency Initiative is an effort led by the Association of Central Oklahoma Governments to assist municipalities with developing planning projects to promote placemaking and cultural heritage tourism. Developed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the program aims to provide the opportunity for the region’s cities to envision greater economic potential through a process of community research and engagement, garnering citizen recommendations, best practices training, and proposed project implementation strategies. Thus far, three planning demonstration site projects have been completed, and the program has been so well-received that it has evolved into a community-wide project that will have positive effects for years to come. The Association of Central Oklahoma Governments developed the program, convened stakeholders, and monitored the implementation of each planning effort completed to date.

Barren River Area Development District

BRADD 2022-2027 CEDS

 Website 

Project Partners: 159 partner organizations represented by 319 people from 35 city or county jurisdictions and other regional planning entities

Summary: In 2021, Barren River Area Development District (BRADD) set out to update two major regional plans: the Regional Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan and the Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS). Traditionally, these documents have been printed, physical plans each totaling several hundred pages; and the creation of both documents has existed in their own silos. In an effort to both modernize these plans and make them more accessible to the general public, BRADD took a larger, holistic approach to strategic planning in its 10-county region and combined these updates into an overarching Community Strategic Planning Process. This process resulted in two interactive and data-driven regional websites and ten county-level strategic plans. In total, more than 319 stakeholders representing local governments, non-profits, small businesses, healthcare and social service organizations, school systems, public utilities, chambers of commerce, industrial development authorities, and other organizations were involved in various aspects of the planning process.

Buckeye Hills Regional Council

Southeast Ohio Downtown Revitalization Workshops Series

 Website 

Project Partners: Designing Local; U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA); Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) Regional Transportation Planning Organizations (RTPOs)

Summary: The Southeast Ohio Downtown Revitalization Workshops Series is a program developed by the Buckeye Hills Regional Council to guide planning efforts in local communities by equipping policymakers with information on best practices in placemaking and downtown revitalization. Developed in response to positive feedback on two local downtown master plans, the program has held workshops in all eight member counties and attracted more than 200 attendees. Buckeye Hills now considers it a key linchpin of the Council’s efforts to develop the micro-tourism industry in the region and successfully steward the application of tens of millions of dollars in state funds that were recently made available to local municipalities to lead downtown revitalization efforts. Due to the intersection of topics in the workshops, such as transportation, community development, and the impact of COVID-19 on small businesses, the Council coordinated multiple funding sources to cover the cost of the workshops as well as a printed guidebook to be produced at will and distributed to communities for years to come.

Catawba Regional Council of Governments

South Carolina Business Loan Fund

 Website 

Project Partners: Central Midlands Council of Governments; Lowcountry Council of Governments; Lower Savannah Council of Governments; Pee Dee Regional Council of Governments; Santee Lynches Regional Council of Governments; Waccamaw Regional Council of Governments; Catawba Regional Development Corporation; South Carolina Small Business Development Centers; Third-party lenders in South Carolina

Summary: Catawba Regional Council of Governments, through its South Carolina Business Loan Fund (SCBLF) program, has closed thirty-six loans for more than $8.22 million since July 2020 to assist businesses impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic across twenty-nine South Carolina counties, creating and/or retaining jobs and helping borrowers recover financially and become more resilient for the future. The project began with the goal to lend capital to retain and grow jobs, strengthen supply chains, and aid in economic recovery as local businesses across Catawba Regional’s lending area faced challenges of continuing operations during the COVID-19 pandemic. Catawba Regional was able to act as the primary business lender and offer interest rates which were lower than those of standard commercial lenders while also managing advertising and project administration. Thus far, $8.221 million in loans have been closed under the program, allocating all of the grant capital to South Carolina businesses in need, leveraging $4.41 million in private investment, and creating and/or retaining over 217 jobs in a time of economic downturn.

Central Florida Regional Planning Council

City of Lakeland's Comprehensive Plan: Our Community 2030

 Website  Project Partners: City of Lakeland; Lakeland Vision; community and neighborhood organizations; Chamber of Commerce Summary: Faced with a dated and cumbersome 700-page comprehensive plan, the City of Lakeland contracted with the Central Florida Regional Planning Council (CFRPC) to create an updated, simplified plan. Working with City of Lakeland Planning staff, the CFRPC created a user-friendly 200-page plan with simplified language and accessible graphics. The 17-month planning process gathered input from across the community to determine what was important to residents of all incomes, all neighborhoods, and all ethnicities. The resulting plan united extensive community visioning and comprehensive planning to guide the city as it grows and redevelops. The update facilitated by the CFRPC is a model project of how existing comprehensive plans can be updated for a new horizon year without losing policy direction, all while refocusing on goals of the community.

Central Florida Regional Planning Council

Harde County Parks, Recreation, Open Space and Trails Master Plan

 Website  Project Partners: Hardee County; City of Bowling Green; City of Wauchula; Town of Zolfo Springs; Hardee County Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee; Hardee County Industrial Development Authority (IDA)/ Economic Development Council (EDC) ; Hardee County School District; Visit Hardee Wauchula Main Street; Wauchula Community Redevelopment Agency; Bowling Green Community Redevelopment Agency; Florida Department of Transportation; Florida Office of Greenways and Trails; Mosaic; Local Churches Summary: The Harde County Parks and Recreation Master Plan is a long-range planning document developed in partnership with the Central Florida Regional Planning Council to help shape the direction, development, and delivery of rural Hardee County’s parks and recreation facilities and system. The plan serves as a community-shared vision and economic development tool for fiscal budgeting, maintenance and expansion of recreation facilities, and development of future parks, trails, and recreation opportunities, while also planning for regional connectivity by connecting the Peace River Blueway and land trail connecting to the Florida Greenways and Trails system. Since its adoption, the county has implemented its recommendations by hiring a full-time Parks and Recreation Director and putting together funding for splash pads at two county parks, among other accomplishments.

Cumberland Plateau Planning District Commission

Economic Recovery and Resiliency

 Website  Project Partners: U.S. Economic Development Administration; Hickey Global Economic Development Consulting Summary: The Cumberland Plateau Planning District Commission advanced several initiatives through its Economic Recovery and Resiliency Program that served the district's communities in the wake of COVID-19, including robust resiliency planning, economic diversification planning, and pandemic recovery networking activities in support of the region’s business community. The linchpin of the Economic Recovery and Resiliency Program – the Cumberland Plateau Roadmap to Economic Resiliency – resulted in the development of an action plan for the planning district’s counties and towns as it pertains to pandemic response and future economic resiliency. The process involved considerable business and governmental stakeholder engagement, both on-site and virtual, with many hours of field work within the district's four counties conducted. Cumberland Plateau Planning District Commission staff served as project lead for the Roadmap to Economic Resiliency's development, as well as funds administrator for the marketing and deployment of RLF recovery funds. The District's local and regional economic development teams are working to implement key recommendations contained within the completed Roadmap to Economic Resiliency action plan, most notably leveraging the pipeline of pharmacy professionals generated each year by the Appalachian College of Pharmacy to build a thriving telepharmacy and telemedicine employment sector that takes advantage of the district's broadband assets.

East Central Florida Regional Planning Council

Southeast Volusia Economic Development Strategic Plan

 Website  Project Partners: Southeast Volusia Chamber of Commerce; Volusia County; Team Volusia; Southeast Volusia Manufacturing and Technology Coalition; Volusia County CEO Business Alliance Summary: The Southeast Volusia Economic Development Strategic Plan is an integrated planning effort aimed at fostering regional economic development by attracting high wage industries and creating workforce development opportunities. Led by the East Central Florida Regional Planning Council (ECFRPC), regional stakeholders convened at two summits aimed to create consensus around the region’s opportunities. The Plan, produced with technical assistance by ECFRPC, has already led to the creation of an industrial overlay district to attract aerospace businesses and a cohesive approach to attracting other large employers. The project offers a good model for those communities interested in building consensus to foster regional economic development that can survive the political cycle.

Georgia Mountains Regional Commission

Depot Street Infrastructure Improvements Project

 Website  Project Partners: City of Hartwell; Appalachian Regional Commission Summary: The Depot Street Infrastructure Improvements Projects aims to revitalize the City of Hartwell's arts and entertainment district, spur transformative investment in downtown beautification and business creation, and expand participation in downtown events. The project included infrastructure investments and beautification of the public realm. The Georgia Mountains Regional Commission assisted the city with applying for grant funding, ultimately securing more than $300,000 from the Appalachian Regional Commission to support the project. Since work completed, thirteen new businesses have opened in the neighborhood, supporting forty new jobs and more than a million dollars in private investments.

Great Falls Development Authority

Downtown Development Partnership of Great Falls

 Website  Project Partners: Great Falls Business Improvement District; Downtown Great Falls Association; NeighborWorks Great Falls; City of Great Falls; Neighborhood Council 7; Great Falls Area Chamber of Commerce; the Downtown Chicks Summary: Fifteen years ago, downtown revitalization efforts in Great Falls, Montana, had petered out. Efforts launched in the 1980s had drawn down, resulting in the city returning over $16 million generated by a downtown tax increment financing district to general funds rather than be invested downtown. The limited efforts of various organizations interested in downtown were uncoordinated, reducing their effectiveness. Since then, the unique Downtown Development Partnership of Great Falls developed by the Great Falls Development Authority has achieved considerable success in revitalizing Downtown Great Falls and building a foundation for future revitalization efforts. 119 new businesses have opened downtown, volunteers have donated over 267,000 hours to downtown efforts and organization, and property valuation in the BID district has increased by over 61%. The city has issued over $61 million in building permits for downtown properties. The Great Falls Redevelopment Authority has led the economic development effort for the BID, providing ongoing staff support and financial assistance.

Land of Sky Regional Council

Bridging the Digital Divide - A WNC Digital Inclusion Plan

 Website  Project Partners: WNC Broadband Project; Madison County; Buncombe County; City of Asheville; Institute for Emerging Issues; Henderson County; City of Hendersonville; Town of Biltmore Forest; Town of Weaverville; Town of Mars Hill; NC Department of Information Technology; University of North Carolina- Asheville; Dogwood Health Trust; Transylvania County; Southwest Commission; AB Tech; Blue Ridge Community College; WNC Bridge Foundation; Haywood Community College; Western Carolina University; North Carolina Natural and Cultural Resources Summary: The Bridging the Digital Divide Digital Inclusion Plan is a comprehensive plan to increase and diversify broadband access in the Land of Sky region of North Carolina. Recognizing that many in the region were either unable to afford broadband service, lacked access to a device, or did not have the skills to connect to broadband, the Land of Sky Regional Council enacted a formal planning process to create the plan. The process included a large regional forum, in-depth focus group meetings, and stakeholder engagement across the region. Achievements thus far, funded by more than $2 million dollars acquired by planners, include the development of six laptop and hot spot lending pilots, instillation of free wifi in ten community centers, three downtown wifi access points, and the provision of devices to individuals pursuing education who are coming out of the prison system or in recovery programs. Land of Sky is now also working to help four other neighboring COGs with their own digital inclusion plans.

Lower Savannah Council of Governments

Lower Savannah Council of Governments - An Economic Assessment of the Six-County Region

 Website  Project Partners: Tommy Boyleston, Executive Director of Barnwell Economic Development Commission; Evelyn Coker, Executive Director of Blackville Community Development Corporation; Chad Lowder, CEO of Tri-County Electric Cooperative; John McLauchlin Jr., Calhoun County Administrator and Director of Economic Development; Ferlondo Tullock, Superintendent, Calhoun County Public Schools Summary: This project was a 2021 planning effort conducted amidst the COVID-19 pandemic to assist the region with responding to and recovering from pandemic-induced shocks while building a more resilient region. The extensive report, completed after a two-phase engagement and data gathering period, pulls together various economic and demographic data, including an analysis of the existing industry and workforce composition, and discusses potential opportunities for growing specific industry clusters. The Lower Savannah Council of Governments wrote, identified, and facilitated the grant funding for the project and leaned on its role as a trusted regional convenor to bring together various stakeholders and members of the public for the engagement process. The final product speaks directly to what the current economic development and quality of life issues are in the region and addresses the potential for growth in these areas, setting the stage for a recovery process centered around resiliency and economic growth.

Lumber River Council of Governments

Lumber River Regional Broadband Study

 Website  Project Partners: ECC Technologies, LLC; Bladen County; Hoke County; Richmond County; Robeson County; Scotland County Summary: The Lumber River Regional Broadband Study is a regional broadband demand aggregation and infrastructure study to better identify and address the ever-increasing broadband challenges within the Lumber River region. In the aftermath of Hurricanes Matthew and Florence striking the area, the Lumber River Council of Governments became aware of the need for an assessment of the region’s broadband infrastructure to ensure effective communications through Internet-based applications during emergency situations. The 18-month study, conducted in partnership with a private entity and local governments, gave the region an accurate picture of the extent of broadband availability and was the basis for several new broadband grant funding applications. The Lumber River Council of Governments worked to obtain the funding for the project, coordinated the overall implementation, and marketed and promoted the results.

Mid-Columbia Economic Development District

2022-2027 Columbia Gorge Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy

 Website  Project Partners: Mid-Columbia Economic Development District Summary: The 2022-2027 Columbia Gorge Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy wove together themes of resilience and equitable outcomes to create a strong guide for recovery in the region served by the Mid-Columbia Economic Development District. Undertaken during the COVID-19 pandemic, the project involved an all-new digital engagement strategy that brought together more than 100 community participants and a diverse steering committee with representatives from public and private interests across the region. Of particular focus for planners was engaging the region’s Native American and Hispanic communities, and a series of focus group discussions ensured input from those groups. The final plan was applauded by regional stakeholders as a participatory, inclusive, and accessible project encompassing the key issues facing the Columbia Gorge area.

Mid-Shore Regional Council

Mid-Shore Online CEDS

 Website  Project Partners: Eastern Shore Regional GIS Cooperative Summary: In 2020, Mid-Shore Regional Council (MSRC) engaged with local partners at the Eastern Shore Regional GIS Cooperative on the Mid-Shore Online CEDS project. The project aimed to modernize the existing Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy for the purpose of making it more accessible, engaging, and visually appealing to a wide range of users. The website utilizes modern design techniques to streamline navigation and provides a robust suite of data tools to the public and other interested stakeholders. More than 20 separate interactive dashboards were created as part of the project, ensuring that CEDS data is widely accessible. MSRC staff coordinated and funded the project, and will maintain the website on an ongoing basis in order to drive regional economic development decisions and secure eligibility for future federal grants.

New River Valley Regional Commission

New River Valley Regional + Local Housing Study

 Website  Project Partners: Virginia Housing; Appalachian Regional Commission; Virginia Center for Housing Research at Virginia Tech; HousingForward Virginia Summary: The New River Valley Regional + Local Housing study analyzed regional and local data as well as input from 10 focus groups and over 1,100 online survey responses to develop seven regional housing strategies and tailored strategies for each of the New River Valley region's five localities. The study was developed and executed by the New River Valley Regional Commission in response to strain on the region’s housing stock driven by population growth and aging structures. The final housing plan was comprised of seven regional strategies and dozens of tailored local strategies for each jurisdiction. Since its release, the Commission has used its findings to apply for more than $2 million in state implementation funds and is now pursuing the creation of a regional housing trust fund. Not only was the depth and breadth of this study unlike anything else created to assess the housing needs of the New River Valley, the current efforts of the Commission to begin implementation of the study through the creation of a regional housing trust fund will be the first of its kind in the Commonwealth.

New River Valley Regional Commission

East Main Downtown Plan

 Website  Project Partners: City of Radford, Virginia; Radford University; Appalachian Regional Commission; Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development; New River Valley Regional Commission; local business and property owners; citizens of Radford Summary: Recognizing that a vibrant and active commercial district is key to the health of the community and creates opportunities for entrepreneurship, placemaking, and enhancements of cultural amenities, the New River Valley Regional Commission partnered with the city of Radford to develop and implement the East Main Downtown Plan. The East Main Downtown area was recognized to have a number of significant advantages—including well-established community fabric, historic buildings, and an advantageous location—but has suffered from disinvestment and ‘missing teeth’ in the streetscape. The planning process engaged residents and stakeholders, collected and analyzed data, conducted studies, and ultimately created a series of recommendations to aid the revitalization of the area. Leveraging the streetscape, curbing, sidewalk and traffic calming improvements, over 25 business and building owners, which collectively employ over 300 employees, will benefit from improvements identified in the East Main Downtown Plan.

Northern Maine Development Commission

Community Resilience Pilot Project

 Website  Project Partners: The Nature Conservancy; Town of Washburn; Town of Fort Fairfield; City of Caribou; Governor's Office of Policy Innovation and Future Summary: The objectives of the Community Resilience Building workshops were to identify top hazards, define current strengths and vulnerabilities, and identify and prioritize action steps that address land use, planning, and hazard mitigation efforts, among others, within each community. Emphasis was also directed to identifying societal needs and vulnerable populations that are impacted by the top hazards within each community. In addition, participants at each workshop had the opportunity to discuss infrastructural, societal, and environmental strengths and vulnerabilities and develop and prioritize actions that help to reinforce those strengths or reduce stated vulnerabilities. Each workshop also focused on ensuring that all participants were heard and contributed and therefore, helped to strength relationships and trust which are critical for subsequent implementation of the prioritized actions from and across each of the three communities. Ultimately, the project helped to expand or explore the creation of new partnerships between the communities, regional service providers such as the Aroostook Regional Transportation Systems and Aroostook Emergency Management agency, and state and federal agencies.

Northwest New Mexico Council of Governments 

City of Gallup Metropolitan Redevelopment Area Plan

 Website  Project Partners: City of Gallup; Gallup Business Improvement District; Greater Gallup Economic Development Corporation; Gallup MainStreet, Arts, and Cultural District; gallupARTS Summary: The Northwest New Mexico Council of Governments assisted the City of Gallup and its many downtown partners, businesses, and property owners by producing the Metropolitan Redevelopment Area Plan. It was the first time the COG had done this type of planning work in-house and was a major step forward in producing fee-for-service work, showcasing the COG’s growing capacity. A major piece of the project was figuring out how to involve the public when the City of Gallup and many surrounding areas were on major lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic. Staff creatively put technology to work to provide an online project portal, electronic review and comments on documents, and ran the whole input and prioritization process using Mentimeter combined with Microsoft PowerPoint. At the end, participants applauded the COG for an excellent process including real-time voting and prioritization. Several projects identified in the MRA Plan are already moving to completion, including the Coal Avenue Commons, event street project, and Alleyway Revitalization projects. Based on this work, the City of Gallup will continue to seek grants through the MainStreet programs as well as other sources.

Northwest Regional Planning and Development Commission

Northwest Pennsylvania Economic Development GIS Mapping Tool

 Website  Project Partners: Clarion County Department of Geographic Information System; Clarion County Department of Planning; Clarion County Economic Development Corporation; Crawford County Planning Office; Economic Progress Alliance of Crawford County; Erie County Data Center; Erie County Department of Planning and Community Development; Erie Regional Chamber and Growth Partnership; Forest County Assessment Office; Forest County Community and Economic Development; Forest County Conservation District and Planning Department; Franklin Industrial & Commercial Development Authority; Girard Area Industrial Development Authority; Greenville Area Economic Development Corporation; Herbert, Rowland & Grubic, Inc.; Lawrence County Department of Planning and Community Development; Lawrence County Economic Development Corporation; Mercer County Geographic Information Systems Department; Mercer County Regional Planning Commission; Northwest Pennsylvania Regional Planning and Development Commission; Oil Region Alliance of Business and Industry; Penn-Northwest Development Corporation; The Redevelopment Authority in the City of Corry; The Redevelopment Authority of the County of Erie; Titusville Industrial Incubator; Venango County Economic Development Authority; Venango County Geographic Information Systems; Venango County Regional Planning Commission; Warren County Assessment Office; Warren County Chamber of Business and Industry; and Warren County Department of Planning and Zoning Summary: The Northwest Pennsylvania Economic Development GIS Mapping Tool is a multi-functional tool designed to streamline data gathering and assist regional stakeholders in making data-driven decisions regarding where best to direct economic development resources. Developed in response to the limitations of an earlier site analysis and selection study, the tool was built with input from an array of stakeholders concerned with the region’s quality of life and economic development challenges. The Northwest Pennsylvania Regional Planning and Development Commission served as the lead agency for implementing the development of the tool through convening the partnership and facilitating the project. The process of creating the tool strengthened existing partnerships in the region and highlighted the role of the Commission as a key collaborator and convenor for regional economic development and quality of life improvement efforts.

Panhandle Regional Planning Commission

Economic Development Events for Texas Panhandle Communities

 Website  Project Partners: Partners for the Homegrown Economic Development Workshop included the organizations who presented: Underwood Law Firm; Borger Economic Development Corporation (Borger, Inc.); the Office of the Governor - Economic Development & Tourism Division; Texas Department of Agriculture; the High Ground of Texas; America's Small Business Development Center at WTAMU; and the WT Enterprise Center. Partners for the Home on the Panhandle Plains event included the twelve cities who participated with booths at the event: City of Amarillo, City of Borger, City of Childress, City of Claude, City of Dalhart, City of Friona, City of Fritch, City of Memphis, City of Pampa, City of Shamrock, City of Tulia, and City of Wheeler. Summary: In Spring 2022, Panhandle Regional Planning Commission organized an economic development workshop designed for small cities (less than 5,000 people) in the Texas Panhandle region and a housing event to connect communities with housing needs to local developers, builders, and contractors. The workshop was designed to answer economic development corporation (EDC) questions; give attendees the opportunity to meet and network with economic development experts, state agency staff, and other EDC administrators and board members throughout the region; and spark ideas about projects attendees could pursue in their own communities. Fifteen communities in the region were represented in addition to other regional stakeholders. The Commission sponsored and ran the event as part of its mission to advance economic development in the region by attracting and retaining firms, and constructing suitable workforce housing.

Region IV Development Association

Resilience for South-Central Idaho

 Website  Project Partners: Region IV Development Association Summary: The COVID-19 pandemic created challenges across the board for the South-Central Idaho region: a housing shortage, workforce shortage, overtaxed health care facilities, and a fractured regional politics. In response, Region IV Development Association initiated a planning process to reimagine how the region’s Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) addresses resiliency. Numerous meetings and collaborations with area stakeholders were held to better understand the existing weaknesses and develop action plans for immediate response and future preparation. The resulting plan, titled “Resilience for South-Central Idaho," moves resiliency to the forefront of planning conversations and proposes a proactive approach to disaster resiliency. Moreover, it provides a springboard for collaboration, encouraging communities to learn from each other’s experiences.

Southeastern Utah Economic Development District

Utah Rural Energy Diversification & Innovation

 Website  Project Partners: Utah Office of Energy Development; Utah Governor's of Economic Opportunity; Carbon County; Emery County; San Rafael Energy Research Center; University of Utah; Utah State University; Weber State University; Utah Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Initiative Summary: In the face of coal mine closures and retiring coal-fueled power plants, Utah’s coal communities face devastating losses of direct and indirect jobs, as well as resulting losses in future talent as young people migrate to find opportunities elsewhere. In response, The Utah Rural Energy Diversification and Innovation (U-REDI) Coalition was co-created by the Southeastern Utah Economic Development District to capitalize on regional assets to make rural Utah a leader in energy innovation and diversification. Thus far, the coalition has written and submitted an application to the EDA Build Back Better Regional Challenge. The attention that southeastern Utah then received for being one of 60 out of 529 Build Back Better Regional Challenge applications has led a variety of private firms to reach out and discuss locating facilities in the region. As U-REDI continues to develop and support alternative energy projects, it hopes that diversification will spark new investment in the region and provide economic opportunities and quality of life improvements to residents.

Southern Georgia Regional Commission

Northeast Ocilla Infrastructure & Neighborhood Revitalization Projects

 Website  Project Partners: Georgia Department of Community Affairs; HUD; Georgia Department of Transportation; University of Georgia; Georgia Initiative for Community Housing (GICH); Irwin County Commission; Irwin County Building & Codes; Ocilla GICH Committee; Ocilla Downtown Development Authority; Ocilla Historic Preservation Commission; Ocilla-Irwin County Chamber of Commerce; USDA; Ocilla Land Bank Authority; Still Waters Engineering Summary: Since 2017, the Southern Georgia Regional Commission has facilitated five federal CDBG and CHIP grant applications on behalf of the city of Ocilla in order to revitalize distressed neighborhoods through infrastructure upgrades and improvements to the housing stock. Moreover, it has acted as the facilitator for a variety of planning and implementation efforts, working alongside city officials and residents to identify community needs and administer the enactment of grant-funded improvements. The targeted neighborhoods, in the northeastern area of the city, is a low-to-moderate income primarily African American neighborhood that has long suffered from distressed housing stock and aging and underfunded infrastructure. Partnering with the city on economic development and revitalization efforts allows the Commission to root its regional economic development strategies in specific, tangible local needs and expands the city’s capacity to apply for complex federal grants without encumbering its limited staff capacity for day-to-day operations.

Southern Georgia Regional Commission

Pre-Update Comprehensive Plan Workshops

 Website  Project Partners: Southern Georgia Regional Commission Summary: The Southern Georgia Regional Commission (SGRC) has long provided planning support for local governments with limited staff resources. In 2021, SGRC expanded its technical assistance for comprehensive plan updates by hosting pre-update workshops for member local governments to review current guidance on comprehensive planning in a shared environment prior to the official start of the update process. The workshops serve to fill a knowledge gap for local officials, many of whom come into office during the state’s required five-year comprehensive plan update process without extensive background knowledge of all requirements. Two workshops have been completed to date, educating nearly two dozen local officials and preparing their communities to complete the comprehensive planning process.

Southwest Georgia Regional Commission

Rural Partners Network

 Website  Project Partners: Barbara Reddick & Suzanne Angell; Connie Hobbs, Baker County; Gary Coker, Newton; Conner Collins, Calhoun County; Jerome Brackins, Arlington; Reeves Lane, Edison; Calvin Cox, Leary; Richard Martin, Morgan; Denver Braswell, Colquitt County; Mark Bridwell, Berlin; Mike Campbell, Doerun; Audie Perry, Sr., Ellenton; Ferrell Ruis, Funston; William McIntosh, Moultrie; Bruce Norton, Norman Park; Pete Stephens, Decatur County; Johnny Medley Attapulgus; Edward Reynolds, Bainbridge; James Earp, Brinson; Joseph Kelly, Climax; Christopher Cohilas, Dougherty County; Bo Dorough, Albany; Hank Jester, Early County; Travis Wimbush, Blakely; Morris Hayes Sr., Damascus; Melanie Rogers, Jakin; LaFaye Copeland, Grady County; Booker T. Gainor, IV, Cairo; Jim Sellars, Whigham; Billy Mathis, Lee County; Billy Breeden, Leesburg; Vincent Cutts, Smithville; Kreg Freeman, Miller County; Preston R. Clenney, Colquitt GA; Benjamin Hayward, Mitchell County; Annette Morman, Baconton; Kelvin Owens, Camilla; James Eubanks, Pelham; Josh Davis, Sale City; Sheila Williams, Seminole County; Ron Johnson, Jr., Donalsonville; Ronnie Ingram, Iron City; Wilburn T. Gamble, III, Terrell County; Harry Parker, Bronwood; Robert Aaron, Dawson; Jake Pritchard, Parrott; Jan Jones, Sasser; Wiley Grady, Thomas County; Diane Causey, Coolidge; Danny Groover, Boston; Cheryl Walters, Meigs; Ronelle Searcy, Ochlocknee; Jay Flowers, Thomasville; Fred Dent, Worth County; Robert Greer, Poulan; Howard Vogan, Sumner; Harold Proctor, Jr., Sylvester; Juanita Kinchen, Warwick; Melody Pierce, Worksource (Regional); Jessica Jennings, Family Connection (Mitchell/Baker); Randy Weldon, Southwest Georgia Community Action Council; Izzie Sadler, SOWEGA Council on Aging; Joe Thomas, Camilla Housing Authority; Michael Allen, Sylvester Housing Authority; Dr. John Maria, Cairo Housing Authority; Rhonda Gordon, RC & D; Sharon Edwards, Community Outreach Training Center; Diane Watson, Community Ventures; Barbara Grogan, Moultrie-Colquitt County Development Authority; Debra Bell-Dison, USDA; Patricia Fletcher-Edwards, NID Housing Counseling Agency; Dr. Sonya Johnson, City of Albany Police Department; Merreann McDonald, The Salvation Army. Summary: The Rural Partners Network (RPN) is an alliance of federal agencies and civic partners working on expanding rural prosperity through job creation, infrastructure development, and community improvement. This year, the Southwest Georgia Regional Commission was selected as a facilitator and partner for the network. The Commission has formed a Steering Committee and has scheduled its first forum to bring federal agency staff to the region to help local leaders navigate through the myriad of federal programs designed to boost rural economic development. As its communities continue to recover from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic as well as a series of natural disasters, the Commission’s role in the RPN will bring resources and economic development opportunities to the region and improve the quality of life for some of Georgia’s most poverty-stricken communities. The Southwest Georgia Regional Commission is the only Regional Commission in the state of Georgia to be selected as a facilitator.

Southwest Tennessee Development District

SWTDD Economic Recovery Strategic Planning

 Website  Project Partners: Younger Associates; Chester County, TN local government; City of Henderson, TN; Decatur County, TN local government; Decatur County Chamber of Commerce; Hardeman County, TN local government; City of Bolivar, TN; Hardin County, TN local government; City of Savannah, TN; Haywood County, TN local government, City of Brownsville, TN; Town of Stanton, TN; Henderson County local government; City of Lexington, TN; Parkers Crossroads, TN; Scotts Hill, TN; Madison County, TN local government; Jackson Chamber of Commerce; McNairy County, TN local government; City of Selmer, TN; McNairy County Chamber of Commerce Summary: The SWTDD Economic Recovery Strategic Planning effort was a strategic planning project for post pandemic economic recovery throughout the eight-county region served by the Southwest Tennessee Development District. The project, conducted with a one-year engagement process, produced county-specific plans and an overarching regional plan that seeks to coordinate on common areas of need. More importantly, the outcome of the project has been the strengthening of relationships, partnerships, and collaboration within and across the region. The plans also laid the groundwork for accessing state and federal funding opportunities that were anticipated but not yet announced at the time planning sessions were underway. The District developed, funded, and coordinated the planning effort, bringing together stakeholders from each county to develop context-specific recommendations with a focus on opportunities for regional collaboration.

Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council

Resilient Ready Tampa Bay

 Website  Project Partners: Florida Department of Environmental Protection; Coastal Protection’s Resilient Florida Grants Program Summary: The Resilient Ready Tampa Bay planning project was created to enhance the technical capacity of community leaders in the Tampa Bay Region to assess, plan for, and adapt to flood impacts through the expanded use of multi-functional green infrastructure and resilient landscape designs. Through multi-jurisdictional and multi-disciplinary collaboration, the Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council was able to create replicable resiliency-focused solutions for local governments and practitioners. The Council led the project through three design charettes, each focused on a different study area in the region to develop diverse solutions for varying flood risks. The planning approach recognized the changing needs and capacities of communities over time while providing numerous solutions at different cost points to reduce resiliency risk in the near and long term.

Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council

An Industrial Land Strategy for Pasco County

 Website 

Project Partners: Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council

Summary: Recognizing that industrial land in Pasco County was at risk of conversion to other uses, the Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council completed a study, the Industrial Land Strategy for Pasco County, to take inventory of existing zoning districts and plan for future industrial development. Planners were concerned that rising land values would squeeze out high-paying industrial jobs, forcing county residents into longer commutes and denying the county’s economy the large multiplier effects that industrial employment can have. The study contains analysis of potential strategies for the County to implement to reserve enough industrial land to support future job growth while maintaining a high quality of life for residents.

Three Rivers Regional Commission

Carroll County Transit Development Plan 2022-2042

 Website  Project Partners: Carroll County; Carroll County Chamber of Commerce; Community Foundation of West Georgia; Carroll County Board of Education; The Holy Spirit Emergency Shelter; Carrollton Housing Authority; Carroll County Mental Health Advocates; Temple Senior Center; Tanner Health System Summary: During the first half of 2022, the Three Rivers Regional Commission worked with stakeholders in Carroll County to create a Transit Development Plan (TDP) for the twenty year period of 2022-2042. Although a TDP is a requirement for counties to be eligible for state transit funding, this planning process utilized a Stakeholder Committee representing diverse perspectives from the business and non-profit community to take a truly comprehensive look at local transit needs. Through this collaboration and thorough analysis, this plan was written to not only meet state guidelines but also to inform decision-makers of important transportation “pain points” in the local economy that can affect local quality-of-life over the upcoming years. These pain points include employers having difficulty retaining employees due to lack of reliable transportation, public housing and low-income residents unable to access daily needs due to limited vehicle ownership, and a growing senior citizen population that is aging out of the capability to drive. The project compiled a comprehensive list of transit needs and opportunities for the next two decades, as well as goals, recommendations, and short-term, mid-term, and long-term action items. The plan also used geospatial analysis to illustrate specific populations that may have a higher propensity to need or use transit, such as persons living with disabilities, persons living in poverty, persons without a vehicle, or persons over the age of 60.

Top of Alabama Regional Council of Governments

AEMA Division F Regional Hazard Mitigation Plan

 Website  Project Partners: North-Central Alabama Regional Council of Governments (NARCOG); Regional Planning Commission of Greater Birmingham (RPCGB); County Emergency Management Agencies for nine participating counties (Blount, Cherokee, Cullman, DeKalb, Etowah, Jackson, Limestone, Madison, and Morgan counties); Alabama Emergency Management Agency (AEMA) Summary: Recognizing the importance of regional collaboration for emergency management efforts, the Alabama Emergency Management Agency funded a TARCOG-led effort to create a coordinated emergency management plan for a nine-county area of northern Alabama. Because several of the counties fall in other regional commission service areas, the effort required four RDOs to work collaboratively together along with the county emergency management agencies and over 100 participating jurisdictions to develop a region-wide plan that was ultimately approved by FEMA. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, TARCOG led an engagement effort centered around virtual resources, tools, and meetings. The agency led the planning process and its staff researched, collected data and information, mapped, designed, and wrote the nearly 1,000 page plan.

Western Piedmont Council of Governments

Western Piedmont Industry Growth Analysis

 Website  Project Partners: Western Piedmont Workforce Development Board Summary: The Western Piedmont Industry Growth Analysis was undertaken to identify “most-favored” industries within the Western Piedmont region of North Carolina which pay better than the 2020 regional average and that are anticipated to grow nationally through 2030. The study was unique in that it was not done in the traditional “shift-share” analysis for economic development but rather specifically targeted high-wage, high-growth industries that may or may not have a significant employment presence in the region. The Industry Growth Analysis also examined existing education programs in the region to determine if they are compatible with the skill sets needed for high-wage, high growth industries and made recommendations to better align workforce skills training with industry needs. Results of the Analysis have already been used by several government agencies throughout the Western Piedmont region to inform planning and policy implementation.

East Central Florida Regional Planning Council

Pipeline Emergency Response Initiative (PERI)

 Website  Project Partners: Apopka Fire Department; Cape Canaveral Volunteer Fire Rescue; Daytona Beach Fire Department; Deland Fire Department; Eustis Fire Department; Kissimmee Fire Department; Melbourne Fire Department; Mount Dora Fire Department; Ocala Fire Department; Orange City Fire Department; Orlando International Airport Fire Rescue; Osceola Fire Department and EMS; Palm Bay Fire Department; Space Coast Regional Airport Fire and Emergency Services; St. Cloud Fire Department; Umatilla Volunteer Fire Department Summary: The Pipeline Emergency Response Initiative is a gap analysis study led by the East Central Florida Regional Planning Council to identify areas of need for fire departments with jurisdiction over areas within a half mile of major gas pipelines. An audit was conducted of each fire department’s response and mitigation capabilities for pipeline incidents. With the results in hand, the Council was able to apply for grants to bring sixteen gas detector systems to underequipped fire departments over a four-year period. With funding for first responders declining, the council’s assistance was vital for procuring the needed equipment and conducting follow-up trainings to ensure readiness for any future pipeline incidents.

Heart of Texas Council of Governments

HOTCOG Regional Communications Tower Project

 Website  Project Partners: Falls County; City of Marlin; McLennan County; City of Waco; City of Woodway Summary: The HOTCOG Regional Communications Tower Project is a program that invests in communication towers to expand communications facilities in rural areas of the Heart of Texas region. Recognizing that modern telecommunications facilities are necessary to enhance public safety and drive economic growth, the Heart of Texas Council of Governments developed the program and has led the construction of towers through every phase. Since 2012, ten towers have been constructed and more are in the pipeline. The project has had a multi-faceted impact on the thousands of people it has served, connecting public safety and economic development in underserved rural areas.

Mid-Shore Regional Council

Eastern Shore Economic Resiliency Toolkit

 Website  Project Partners: Scott Warner, Executive Director, Mid-Shore Regional Council; Greg Padgham, Executive Director, Tri-County Council for the Lower Eastern Shore; Dan McDermott, Executive Director, Upper Shore Workforce Investment Board; Stephanie Wilkins, Director Lower Shore Workforce Alliance; Erin Silva, Project Manager, Eastern Shore Regional GIS Cooperative; Debbie Bowden, Director, Caroline County Economic Development; Susan Banks, Director, Dorchester County Economic Development; Cassandra Vanhooser, Director, Talbot County Economic Development and Tourism Summary: When COVID-19 emerged, it became evident that business shutdowns and restrictions could cripple the economy. Economic developers quickly became valued members of emergency response teams as jurisdictions grappled with a response. The Eastern Shore Economic Recovery Project grew out of these newly formed partnerships, spurred by the need for information to make speedy, data-driven decisions. The pandemic response simply underscored the importance of accurate, useful, easily accessible data. The Eastern Shore Economic Resiliency Toolkit provides public facing resources which are specifically targeted to the economic development community to provide decision makers with data-driven tools to promote a deeper understanding of the threats, opportunities, and potential impacts to economic recovery following a short and long recovery emergency such as COVID-19. The Mid-Shore Regional Council was responsible for grant and project management, helping to create a model partnership that simplifies the process of finding information and enhances collaboration between regional stakeholders.

PlanRVA

Central Virginia COVID-19 Response Fund

 Website  Project Partners: Community Foundation for a Greater Richmond; Emergency Management Alliance of Central VA Summary: The Central Virginia COVID-19 Response Fund was a relief fund created in March 2020 at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic to provide support and financial assistance to organizations in the Central Virginia region. The fund drew on earlier planning efforts by PlanRVA, which in 2018 partnered with the Emergency Management Alliance of Central Virginia to establish a regional disaster preparedness and response fund. Because of that existing work, PlanRVA was able to rapidly roll out relief to its most vulnerable residents when the pandemic began. Early phase funding focused on response strategies to ensure the health and safety of the community. As the region began to reopen, the fund expanded its scope to include strategies that contributed to longer term recovery in areas such as childcare, rental assistance, and the return of residents to the workplace. From 2020-2021, the Fund raised $7M from hundreds of donors, large and small, far surpassing any previous disaster response campaign. The Fund distributed valuable support dollars to community organizations through 220 grant awards, impacting 761,282 individuals across the region.

Southwest Iowa Planning Council

Post-Disaster Transformational Housing Development

 Website  Project Partners: Iowa Economic Development Authority; City of Glenwood; City of Hamburg; City of Logan; City of Malvern; City of Missouri Valley; City of Modale; City of Tabor; City of Woodbine, Iowa Summary: In 2019, Southwest Iowa suffered catastrophic flooding that destroyed hundreds of units of housing in low- and moderate-income communities without sufficient resources to recover. The Southwest Iowa Planning Council responded by applying for and securing more than $90 million in federal flood recovery funds that has been put to work demolishing blighted structures and rebuilding the housing stock. More than 100 units have already been demolished, and the Council plans to construct at least 250 new homes. Moreover, more than $2.5 million in infrastructure improvements is currently underway to serve the new construction.

East Central Florida Regional Planning Council

Partnership for the Goals

 Website  Project Partners: Brookings Institute; the East Central Florida Regional Resilience Collaborative; Central Florida Foundation; City of Orlando; Orange County; Florida For Good; University of Central Florida’s Center for Global Environmental and Economic Opportunity Summary: Partnership for the Goals was a summit that engaged over 100 executive leaders from numerous sectors across the East Central Florida region to leverage organizational momentum on some of its most complex issues through non-traditional partnership, diversity, and action. Centered around a Sustainable Development Goal Framework tool, the summit created consensus around two dozen concrete actions that the region could achieve within an 18-month timeframe to orient growth in an equitable, sustainable direction. Moreover, the summit created new awareness of the potential for non-traditional cross-sector collaboration amongst various stakeholders in the region.

East Central Iowa Council of Governments

Iowa Watershed Approach – Clear Creek, English River, and Middle Cedar Watersheds

 Website  Project Partners: Benton County; Iowa County; Johnson County; Clear Creek Watershed Coalition; English River Watershed Management Authority; Middle Cedar Watershed Management Authority; Benton, Iowa, Johnson, and Tama Soil and Water Conservation Districts; The University of Iowa; The Iowa Flood Center; IIHR; Iowa Economic Development Authority; Iowa Homeland Security and Emergency Management; Iowa Department of Natural Resources; Iowa Department of Agriculture; The Nature Conservancy; Environmental Protection Agency Summary: After the Great Floods of 2008 caused widespread devastation in Iowa, millions of dollars in federal funding was allocated to resiliency planning efforts in three watersheds in the East Central Iowa region. The East Central Iowa Council of Governments has provided a variety of services to the watershed planning effort, including grant writing, facilitating planning meetings, and administering programs with outside funding. As of this year, more than 530 improvements have been made to watershed management in order to create resiliency to future disasters and effective day-to-day management of the three affected watersheds. The project has also created an environment of increased information sharing, enhanced conservation networks, and improved visibility of conservation efforts in the region.

Lowcountry Council of Governments

Lowcountry Military Installation Resilience Review

 Website  Project Partners: Department of Defense Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation; Beaufort County; The Town of Port Royal; The City of Beaufort; Marine Corps Recruit Depot Paris Island; Marine Corps Air Station; Beaufort County Human Services; Planning Commission/Port Royal Sound Foundation; Southern Carolina Alliance; Beaufort County Transportation Committee; South Carolina Coastal Conservation League; Open Land Trust; Beaufort County School Board; South Carolina Department of Transportation; Beaufort Chamber Military Enhancement Committee; Beaufort Conservation District; Beaufort Regional Chamber; Metropolitan Planning Commission; The Nature Conservancy; Port Royal Sound Foundation; Gullah/Geechee Nation; South Carolina Department of Natural Resources; Spring Island Trust/Lowcountry Institute; The Pew Charitable Trusts; Beaufort County Human Services; Beaufort Jasper Water and Sewer Authority; Lowcountry Land Trust; Lady's Island Preservation Committee Summary: The Military Installation Resilience Review (MIRR) is an engagement and planning process designed to help communities partner with local commands to make informed decisions that respond to, address, and mitigate activities that are impairing or likely to impair the use of the installation. The recent Lowcountry MIRR was conducted with the objective to identify vulnerabilities and present recommendations that enhance the resilience and adaptation capacity of two regional Marine Corps installations and their surrounding communities. In particular, the planning process revealed a need for greater climate resiliency planning for the facilities and their surrounding communities. Since its completion one of the three pilot projects has begun moving forward taking the MIRR’s recommendations into account, and its findings have been used to support grant applications sought by stakeholders to begin implementation efforts and help bolster similar resilience effort in the region. The Lowcountry Council of Governments managed the MIRR project through each phase, including grant writing, facilitation, data collection, and advertising findings.

Northeast Mississippi Planning & Development District

Restoration of Historic Rosenwald School

 Website  Project Partners: Mississippi Department of Archive & History; Marshall County Mississippi/Board of Supervisors Summary: The Isaac Chapel Rosenwald School is one of the few surviving Rosenwald schools in Mississippi. Constructed approximately one century ago, the school provided an education for African American children during the Jim Crow era. The building closed in 1964 and had been used for various functions, most recently as a storage facility, until Marshall County chose to restore the historic school and repurpose it as the Historic Isaac Chapel Rosenwald Historical Museum and Educational Center. The Museum and Center will be a repository of county history, the site of educational classes, and a venue for weddings and other community receptions. The Northeast Mississippi Planning & Development District served as the liaison agency between Marshall County and the Mississippi Department of Archives & History for the project. NEMPDD prepared the grant application and administered the MDAH Community Heritage Preservation (CHPG) program grant on behalf of Marshall County from beginning to close out of the project.

PlanRVA

Lower Chickahominy Watershed Collaborative

 Website  Project Partners: Hampton Roads Planning District Commission; Virginia Coastal Zone Management Program; Charles City County; New Kent County; James City County; Pamunkey Indian Tribe; Chickahominy Indian Tribe; Chickahominy Indian Tribe – Eastern Division; University of Virginia Institute for Engagement and Negotiation; Virginia Department of Forestry; Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources; Center for Regional Analysis at George Mason University; Virginia Coastal Policy Center at William and Mary Law School; Virginia Department of Historic Resources; Virginia Department of Environmental Quality; Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation; Capital Region Land Conservancy; Rice Rivers Center of Virginia Commonwealth University; Chesapeake Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve – Virginia; Historic Virginia Land Conservancy; Virginia Tourism Corporation; Virginia Capital Trail Foundation Summary: PlanRVA worked with partners to create the Lower Chickahominy Watershed Collaborative, a joint effort by three tribal nations, three counties, and two planning district commissions to advance natural resource conservation and sustainable economic development in an ecologically significant area in Virginia’s coastal zone. The Collaborative was formed in response to years of planning studies that sought to identify strategies to create sustainable economic development and support natural resource conservation in the watershed region. Moreover, it seeks to harness ecological significance, rural character, Tribal history, and culture to maintain quality-of-life in the lower Chickahominy area. Key to the Collaborative’s success has been a groundbreaking Memorandum of Understanding signed by the Tribal Nations, counties, and commissions. PlanRVA served as the project manager for the effort, which serves as a model of the engagement and coordination work necessary to drive the region forward.

Region Five Development Commission

Watershed Planning

 Website  Project Partners: Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources (BWSR); Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR); Minnesota Department of Health (MDH), Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA); Cass County; Crow Wing County; Morrison County; Wadena County; Todd County; Cass County Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD), Crow Wing County Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD); Morrison County Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD); Wadena County Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD); Todd County Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD); Houston Engineering Summary: Historically, soil and water plans were conducted on a county-by-county basis, which doesn’t match the reality of natural watershed. Therefore, two jurisdictions that happened to fall into the same watershed might have drastically different policies that wouldn’t allow either to dovetail nicely together with other jurisdictions water plans, or even might work at cross purposes. However, thanks to Minnesota’s Clean Water Land and Legacy Amendment, the state was able to create a program known as the One Watershed, One Plan which enables multiple jurisdictions to conduct soil and water plans based not on county lines but rather based on the natural watersheds. Subsequently, through the five-county region served by Region Five Development Commission (R5DC), multiple jurisdictions have worked cooperatively to successfully complete One Watershed One Plans for their watersheds and are now ready to begin implementing the goals, strategies, and projects identified within their watersheds. The Commission has served a third party facilitator for the planning process, leveraging its trusted position as a regional convenor to facilitate discussions and identify similar needs across the region.

Region Nine Development Commission

Region Nine Growers Network

 Website  Project Partners: The Living Earth Center; Sustainable Farming Association of Minnesota Summary: The Region Nine Growers’ Network is a group of local and sustainable farmers that was established to grow the local foods economy and support farmers through building a community and an ecosystem of resources for emerging farmers. Born out of a 2016 agricultural resiliency planning study, the Network has grown into a 23-member, nine county organization that supports the region’s farmers while opening up new opportunities for growth and connections. The Region Nine Development Commission assists the Network by recruiting members, facilitating meetings, and connecting farmers to resources that support and empower them. The Network fits within the region’s vision for economic development and improved quality of life by increasing economic opportunities for farmers, increasing access to fresh and local foods, supporting sustainable farming practices, and building stronger connections across the region.

Santee-Lynches Regional Council of Governments

Far-UV Disinfection Lighting for School Buses

 Website  Project Partners: Clarendon/Manning; Kershaw/Camden; Lee/Bishopville; Sumter/Sumter Counties; Six different school districts in Clarendon, Kershaw, Lee and Sumter Counties; SC school engineers; multiple technology and installation companies Summary: The Far-UV Disinfection Lighting for School Buses was a project by the Santee-Lynches Regional Council of Governments to equip school buses with pathogen-killing Far-UVC light emitters in order to reduce the transmission of pathogens on the district’s school buses. The council worked directly with private sector lighting companies to find an appropriate product, leading the procurement and research process. Evidence from the Council’s study suggests that the implementation of the technology was associated with a 30% decrease in total sick days for staff in the public school system. At the time of first installation, no other school system had taken an approach with Far-UV lighting, demonstrating the potential of councils of governments like Santee-Lynches to implement leading practices at a regional scale.

Sweetgrass Development

Asbestos to Housing: The Shelby Bitterroot School Assessment

 Website  Project Partners: City of Shelby; WWC Engineering; U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Summary: One of the recurring issues raised in North Central Montana’s strategic regional planning processes over the last decade has been the need for transforming aging infrastructure and contaminated properties to meet today’s needs. Acutely aware of this need, Sweetgrass Development, the region’s economic development partner, jumped at the request from the city of Shelby to work on a brownfield restoration project for an abandoned elementary school adjacent to its historic Main Street. Sweetgrass leveraged EPA funding to complete brownfields assessments for the building that allowed the city to move forward with cleanup and renovation of the building. The long-term plan is to convert the space into a multi-family housing unit designed for Shelby residents and workers, supporting the city’s workforce housing needs and economic development efforts.

Northeastern Pennsylvania Alliance

Get Connected

 Website  Project Partners: BlackOut Design; Coal Creative; Design Done Right; University of Scranton Small Business Development Center; Wilkes University Small Business Development Center; Pennsylvania Department of Community & Economic Development; Lackawanna County Summary: The Get Connected initiative from the Northeastern Pennsylvania Alliance is a technical assistance program designed to help its region’s small and disadvantaged businesses thrive despite COVID-19 related challenges. Although e-commerce has been a major economic driver for years, many small businesses in the region had not embraced or implemented the technology. The project has engaged more than 200 businesses to date, providing cash vouchers, web development assistance, and support for building out e-commerce operations. The Alliance, which led the program’s design, implementation, and evaluation, estimates that the program helped local businesses retain 270 employees and hire an additional 34. Although the vouchers were modest in size, the wrap-around services and supports provided as part of the program make it a model for small business assistance that can be replicated by any community looking to ease the transition to e-commerce and other modern business technologies.

Southern Georgia Regional Commission

SGRC Census and Redistricting Information HUB

 Website  Project Partners: City of Valdosta; Lowndes County; U.S. Census Bureau Summary: With the release of the US Census data and redistricting deadlines for cities and counties, SGRC’s GIS department is helping to navigate the wealth of information available by doing what it does best, mapping it. More than that, the SGRC-GIS department wanted to create a “one-stop shop” for all Census, Redistricting, and Election information, whether it be for statistics or finding resources. Using ESRI’s HUB platform, GIS staff gathered information from a variety of official sources and presented it in a logical, user-friendly format for the SGRC region. The SGRC HUB offers local information such as interactive maps displaying regional population data by county, Census tract, Census block group, or Census block as well as statewide information such as voter information from Georgia’s Secretary of State’s Office and the Legislative & Congressional Reapportionment Office. The platform provided low or no cost information to counties and cities through the redistricting process, and will be used by partners going forward to assist with grant applications and planning efforts.

Land of Sky Regional Council

Tunnel Road Corridor Study

 Website  Project Partners: Buncombe County; City of Asheville; North Carolina Department of Transportation Summary: The Tunnel Road Corridor Study helps to provide an overview of potential improvements to an area along Tunnel and South Tunnel Roads in East Asheville. The corridor is currently experiencing increased vacancies of commercial parcels and has been identified in the City of Asheville’s Comprehensive Plan as an area needing to be redeveloped with more urban amenities. The MPO corridor study helps to make those opportunities more clear by illustrating changes to the roadway that would allow for safer multimodal transportation and connectivity that would help alleviate areas of congestion and build a more connected and livable area along the corridor. The MPO/Land of Sky provided 80% of the funding for the study through the MPO’s metropolitan planning funds and managed the consultant team on the study.

North Central Florida Regional Planning Council

Gainesville Metropolitan Area Multimodal Level of Service Report

Website Project Partners: Metropolitan Transportation Planning Organization for the Gainesville Urbanized Area Summary: The Multimodal Level of Service Report for the Gainesville Metropolitan Area is created annually with staff support from the North Central Regional Planning Council to inform transportation planning in the metropolitan area. The Report is the product of an impactful regional partnership approach that recognizes transportation as a critical component of both economic development and quality of life for residents. The report has enabled the North Central Florida Regional Planning Council, in partnership with the Metropolitan Transportation Planning Organization for the Gainesville Urbanized Area, to identify unmet transportation system needs and develop priority projects to enhance the operational efficiency of the transportation system for the Gainesville Metropolitan Area.

Northeast Mississippi Planning & Development District

Yellow Creek Port Crane Overhaul

 Website  Project Partners: Yellow Creek State Inland Port Authority; Appalachian Regional Commission Summary: The Yellow Creek Port is a key engine of economic growth in the Northeast Mississippi region. Unfortunately, its Manitowoc Model 888 heavy lifting crane, which supports the operations of several businesses at the Port, is approaching the end of its service life and in need of a complete overhaul. Such an effort was not financially feasible for port operators, so the Northeast Mississippi Planning & Development District stepped in to employ its grant writing expertise to secure funds to restore the crane to operating condition. The restoration process will involve transporting, disassembling, cleaning, painting, completing a mechanical and electrical overhaul, reassembling, and returning the crane to the Yellow Creek Port. With the crane overhaul, current and future businesses will be able to load and unload heavy material from and onto barges and rail. The continuation of this facility will sustain current jobs and allow for expansion and job creation in the future in growing industry sectors. The District prepared the grant application and will administer the restoration process to completion.

PlanRVA

ConnectRVA 2045

Website Project Partners: Charles City County; Chesterfield County; Goochland County; Hanover County; Henrico County; New Kent County; Powhatan County; Town of Ashland; City of Richmond; Virginia Department of Transportation; Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation; Federal Highway Administration; Federal Transit Administration Summary: ConnectRVA 2045 is the data driven, fiscally constrained transportation vision plan for the Richmond Region. Developed collaboratively by the region’s Metropolitan Planning Association and PlanRVA, the plan represents the 25-year vision for the community’s transportation needs and expectations and is based on technical analysis of needs and trends along with public feedback. The public input process was modified during COVID-19 but was still successful at engaging a broad swath of the region’s residents and incorporating their feedback into the final plan. Full implementation of ConnectRVA 2045 is anticipated to drive the creation of more than $15 billion in net economic value in the region, and will shape investments in equitable, cost-effective solutions to help the region grow.

Rural Transportation Advocacy Council

Rural Transportation Priority Project Legislation

 Website  Project Partners: CAG; CYMPO, MetroPlan Greater Flagstaff; LHMPO; NACOG; SCMPO; SEAGO; SVMPO; WACOG; YMPO Summary: Recognizing that regional transportation priorities were at risk of not being funded due to political conflicts in the state legislature, RTAC developed an innovative funding strategy that combined regional programming and prioritization with legislative earmarking. Instead of using its funding strategy of directing discretionary funding through state distribution formulas, RTAC developed a hybrid approach where each rural regional transportation planning organization would prioritize a list of projects from its region and the list would be introduced as a bill in the state legislature seeking state general fund revenue. The legislative effort generated a lot of interest and was a driving force behind prioritizing transportation funding in the state budget, resulting in hundreds of millions of dollars being allocated to projects that regional councils identified as high-priority.

South Florida Regional Planning Council

The Southeast Florida Clean Cities Coalition

 Website  Project Partners: U.S. Department of Energy (DOE); Palm Beach County Government; Palm Beach Transportation Planning Agency; Broward County Government; Broward Metropolitan Planning Organization; Miami-Dade County Government; Miami-Dade Transportation Planning Organization; Monroe County Government; Sheridan Technical College; Florida Department of Education Summary: The Southeast Florida Clean Cities Coalition is a regional work group led by the South Florida Regional Planning Council that aims to foster economic, environmental, and energy security by working locally to advance affordable, domestic transportation fuels, energy efficient mobility systems, and other fuel-saving technologies and practices. The Clean Cities program serves as forums for local stakeholders to connect and collaborate on saving energy and using affordable alternative fuels. It provides grassroots support and resources on new transportation technologies and infrastructure development while the support networks help stakeholders identify cost-effective solutions that work locally. In 2022, the coalition submitted an application to designate alternative fuel corridors in the region and make local governments eligible to apply for up to $2.5 billion in federal funding for their alternative fuel programs. The South Florida Regional Planning Council both organizes the coalition meetings and provides technical support and grant writing expertise to help fulfill its mission.

Alamo Area Council of Governments

Soldier Recovery Unit Transportation

Website Project Partners: Department of the Air Force; 502D Air Base Wing (JBSA); Brooke Army Medical Center (BAMC); Soldier Recovery Unit (SRU); and Joint Base San Antonio Fort Sam Houston (JBSA-FSH) Summary: The Alamo Area Council of Governments (AACOG), Department of the Air Force, 502D Air Base Wing (JBSA), Brooke Army Medical Center (BAMC), Soldier Recovery Unit (SRU), and Joint Base San Antonio Fort Sam Houston (JBSA-FSH) created the Soldier Recovery Unit Transportation program to provide a more modernized and professional transportation service for Wounded Warrior service members and their families. Given the partnership already established between AACOG and JBSA, the improvement to the already existing service would be a 25% savings to JBSA and great benefit to the service members and their families. AACOG utilizes existing vehicles and retained drivers from the original service provider for service continuity and familiarity for riders. Future improvements of the project include a mobile app to assist wounded service members in scheduling, tracking, and/or cancelling trips.

Southern Georgia Regional Commission

Traffic Enforcement for Bicycle Safety

 Website  Project Partners: Georgia Bikes; Transport Studio Summary: The Southern Georgia Regional Commission (SGRC) serves 18 counties in South Georgia and offers a variety of programs and services to the local governments in the region. To support bicycling and bicycle safety in the area, SGRC partnered with Georgia Bikes and Transport Studio of Savannah, GA to construct a bicycle and pedestrian safety campaign focused on local Law Enforcement officials and the public. The goal of this Safety Planning Program is to promote safe travel behavior and to decrease the severity and frequency of crashes in the Southern Georgia region, with a focus on bicycles, pedestrians, railroad crossings, and slow-moving vehicles. To date, two workshops have been offered to law enforcement officials free of charge, and a social media campaign has rolled out to publicize information to a wider audience.

Southern Georgia Regional Commission

New Regional and Small Urban Public Transportation Implementation In Southern Georgia

 Website  Project Partners: City of Valdosta; Via; Georgia DOT; MIDS Transportation, Inc Summary: In 2021, the Southern Georgia Regional Commission assisted the City of Valdosta in launching the Valdosta On-demand micro-transit service and launched its own 18-county regional rural transit service. The Valdosta On-demand service is one of the most successful micro-transit startups for the operator Via, maintaining 300 average daily trips since its second week of operation. SGRC Regional Transit assumed operations from 11 existing county transit programs and is working to restore ridership from COVID-lows by offering new services and reducing administrative burdens. These two transit systems have offered new opportunities for residents of South Georgia to access jobs, education, and medical appointments. In both cases, the Commission leveraged its role as a trusted collaborator and technical expert to build out the programs.

Panhandle Regional Planning Commission

2022 Regionally Coordinated Public Transportation Plan Texas Panhandle

Website Project Partners: Panhandle Regional Organization to Maximize Public Transportation (PROMPT) Committee; Amarillo Metropolitan Planning Organization; Amarillo City Transit; Panhandle Transit; City of Amarillo – Community Development, the Panhandle Independent Living Center; the Senior Ambassador’s Coalition; the Area Agency on Aging; the Department of Veteran’s Affairs; the Coalition of Health Services; Workforce Solutions – Panhandle; the Texas Health and Human Services Commission; ModivCare; Amarillo College; City of Canyon; City of Borger; Hansford County; Carson County; Potter County; and Moore County; attendees of focus groups; attendees of public meetings; the general public; transit riders; individuals in the City of Amarillo’s Coming Home Program; West Texas A&M University; Texas Department of Transportation Summary: The Panhandle Regional Planning Commission had the opportunity in 2020 to redevelop the region’s coordinated public transportation plan. This is the fourth iteration of the plan and first major overhaul of the plan contents, needs assessment, plan organization, and overall layout. Staff completed the planning process in eighteen months and produced a plan that is rooted in existing and emerging needs with viable and achievable projects to improve public transportation in the region. This iteration of the region’s coordinated public transportation plan included new outreach strategies to engage stakeholders in the middle of a global pandemic. Staff utilized online meeting platforms, interactive meeting tools, and online surveys to capture public input during a time when in-person interaction was discouraged. The project produced a robust plan that brought together elected officials, transit officials, transit riders, representatives of historically underserved populations, and the general public to address a myriad of challenges faced in the region. The plan is a path toward improving both urban and rural transportation services in the region through unique projects funded by grants, general operating funds, and planning dollars.

Cumberland Valley Area Development District

City of Corbin Bicycle & Pedestrian Master Plan

 Website  Project Partners: Whitley County Health Department; City of Corbin; Kentucky Transportation Cabinet; Corbin Tourism; Corbin City Schools

Summary: The Cumberland Valley Area Development District worked with the City of Corbin, Corbin Tourism, and the Whitley County Health Department to design and implement a bicycle and pedestrian master plan. The plan highlights several biking and walking events, as well as an analysis of existing conditions and recommended facility improvements for better access for all citizens throughout the community. Corbin's proposed projects include completion of sidewalks, multi-use paths, improvements to existing sidewalks to include Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) upgrades, painting crosswalks, adding signage for both bicycle and pedestrian routes, bike rack locations, and other safety features. Since the plan was released, it has been used to support several grant applications and feasibility studies. The project demonstrates the value and expertise the District brings to communities in the region, as well as its role as a trusted convenor on projects of all sizes.

Iowa Department of Transportation

Transportation Accessibility/Mobility Analysis

 Website  Project Partners: Systems Planning Bureau; Civil Rights Bureau; Location and Environment Bureau; Modal Transportation (Public Transit) Bureau; Iowa DOT Districts; regional planning affiliations; metropolitan planning organizations Summary: The Transportation Accessibility/Mobility Analysis was a planning effort undertaken by the Iowa Department of Transportation as part of the state’s Long Range Transportation planning process. Recognizing that 1 in 4 residents in the state are not licensed drivers, the analysis focused on a people-oriented approach to increase mobility for all rather than a traffic-oriented approach that just focuses on moving motor vehicles. The analysis identified populations with a particular need for alternative transportation investments and strategies to build a modern transportation network into the future. Planning staff at the Iowa Department of Transportation was directly responsible for both the development of this concept and the execution and summarization of the analysis.

Upper Savannah Council of Governments

Regional Transit Partnership and Expansion

 Website  Project Partners: Greenwood County; McCormick Area Transit (MAT); McCormick County; SCDOT Office of Public Transit Summary: Greenwood County, South Carolina is the largest county by population in the Upper Savannah COG region and had no public transit system. After a series of meetings with various stakeholders including local government leaders, non-profit agencies, education providers, and business interests, the County sought the input of a smaller, neighboring McCormick County, which had a public transit system. The result of this input was the beginning of a path towards studying the potential of a partnership between the public transit provider in one county (McCormick Area Transit) and the much larger county with a need but no organization in place to handle the new program area. Beginning on July 1, 2021, McCormick Area Transit officially began offering public transit for medical appointments and essential shopping within a four-mile radius of the Greenwood County Courthouse. That four-mile radius has gradually expanded to an eight-mile radius with hopes of covering all of Greenwood County in the future. Upper Savannah COG helped facilitate the initial meetings between Greenwood County and McCormick County to determine interest and assess capabilities in potentially developing a public transit partnership between the two counties. After the interest was initiated, Upper Savannah COG updated the regional Transit Plan to accommodate for revised population numbers and to encourage the potential for partnership between local governments.

North Central Pennsylvania Regional Planning and Development Commission

Planning Tool Leveraging GIS Collaborated Datasets

 Website  Project Partners: North Central Pennsylvania Regional Planning and Development Commission Summary: The Bridge Conditions Dashboard for Regional Planning Tool is an interactive online dashboard built by the North Central Pennsylvania Regional Planning and Development Commission. The dashboard allows stakeholders—from community members to elected officials—to monitor real-time bridge conditions in the region at a glance. Built by combining several GIS datasets, the tool centralizes information in one place for use in planning studies, advocacy, and for public consumption. The North Central Pennsylvania Planning and Development Commission developed and maintains the tool as part of a suite of services it offers to the region it serves.

Bi-State Regional Commission

River Freight Planning and GIS Application

 Website  Project Partners: Bi-State Regional Commission Summary: The Upper Mississippi River Ports - Port Statistical Area Interactive Mapping Project is a river freight planning effort led by the Bi-State Regional Commission. In collaboration with five councils of government, the Commission mapped more than 200 miles of rivers and shipping facilities in the Upper Mississippi River Port Statistical Area. The effort, funded by an Illinois Statewide Planning and Research Grant, created a GIS dataset of important facilities and features to enable better decision-making about investments and management of the critical shipping services provided by the Mississippi River. The Bi-State Regional Commission leveraged its reputation as a trusted collaborator and in-house mapping and grant writing technical expertise to contribute to this important project.

Southern Georgia Regional Commission

Land Use, Planning Methods, MPO Policy

Website Project Partners: Valdosta-Lowndes Metropolitan Planning Organization Summary: The Low Impact Development Policy created by the Southern Georgia Regional Commission is a series of guidelines for designing roadways in a more sustainable manner in its region. The guidelines encourage implementation of cost-effective water management strategies that improve the overall quality of surface water in local water bodies. Low impact development best practices include the installation of pavement, stormwater storage and reuse, bio filtration in detention areas, and green roofs on buildings among other practices. The Commission developed this tool in collaboration with the region’s transportation MPO, the Valdosta-Lowndes Metropolitan Planning Organization.

Barren River Area Development District

Transportation GIS

 Website  Project Partners: Barren River Area Development District Summary: The Barren River Regional Transportation Dashboard is a GIS database that gives an at-a-glance view of transportation issues in the Barren River region. Created by the Barren River Area Development District, the dashboard brings together several datasets and presents them in an accessible format. The agency developed the dashboard to increase public awareness of transportation issues and provide a quick view of needs that can be used to inform future transportation planning and investments in the region.

Centralina Regional Council

Centralina Workforce Development App

 Website  Project Partners: Centralina Workforce Development Board; Equus Workforce Solutions (NCWorks Centralina – service provider); NCWorks Career Centers Summary: The Centralina Workforce Development app provides a central location for clients to access all of the life-enhancing services provided by the Centralina Workforce Development Board and NCWorks Career Centers. The innovative app was designed to serve as a one-stop access point for both career seekers and employers to discover valuable opportunities and resources, where they can find everything from hiring events, workshops, and career assessments to employer services, event details, and much more. In just a year of its launch date, partner organizations have seen a 35% increase in customer traffic in NCWorks Career Centers, a 50% increase in individuals participating in Centralina Virtual Career Marketplace events around the region, and a 60% increase in career seekers participation and viewership for virtual workshops. The Centralina Regional Council handled the authorization, funding, input, and final approval for the development and implementation of the app.

Georgia Mountains Regional Commission

Quality Control Apprenticeship

 Website  Project Partners: WorkSource Georgia Mountains; Lanier Technical College; Harris Products; IMS Gear; Ga Poultry Labs; Selit North America; TSUBAKI NAKASHIMA (Hoover); Bitzer; USA Production Parts Titan Steel Door; Solvay; Kings Hawaiian; BTD; GA Poultry Federation Summary: The Quality Control Apprenticeship program is an initiative developed by the Georgia Mountains Regional Commission to promote economic mobility and upskill the regional workforce to meet the needs of the Advanced Manufacturing and Technology industry. Industry leaders needed an innovative way to not only reach new, highly motivated talent, but also an avenue to reenergize their existing workforce to be as productive and successful as possible. Quality Control Technicians play a vital role in the manufacturing process in careers that provide good pay, opportunities for advancement, stable employment, and excellent company benefits. The Commission created the program in partnership with the local technical college and eleven regional manufacturing employers and has since graduated two cohorts of apprentices who have moved on to careers in the field.

Georgia Mountains Regional Commission

Weld Ready Boot Camp

 Website  Project Partners: Georgia Mountains Regional Commission – WorkSource; Workforce Innovators of America; GA Department of Labor; Gainesville City Schools; Forsyth Co. Schools; Dawson Co. Schools; Lumpkin Co. Schools Summary: The Weld Ready Bootcamp is an innovative short-term welding training program designed to equip workers with the skills needed to participate in the Georgia Mountains Region’s thriving manufacturing industry. Working in collaboration with WorkSource GA Mountains, the Georgia Mountains Regional Commission provided a series of four-week bootcamps for recent high school graduates from the 13-county region who sought workforce certification for the high-demand field. Participants were trained in a variety of industrial processes as well as soft skills and networking assistance. To date, all participants have received welding certifications, and more than half are working in their training field earning $15-$22 per hour. The program serves the Georgia Mountains Regional Commission’s economic development priorities both by providing skills training to create economic mobility for residents and also making the region more attractive to high-paying manufacturers looking to locate in areas with skilled workforces.

Green River Area Development District

Hire to Operate (H2O) Apprenticeship Training Program

 Website  Project Partners: Kentucky Rural Water Association; Green River Area Development District; Green River Workforce Development Board; Delta Regional Authority; Henderson County Fiscal Court; McLean County Fiscal Court; Union County Fiscal Court; Webster County Fiscal Court Summary: The Hire to Operate (H2O) program is a collaboration between the Green River Area Development District and state and local partners to address the shortage of certified water and wastewater operators in Western Kentucky through a Registered Apprenticeship Program. Cognizant of the fact that roughly 33% of the nation’s water sector workforce is eligible to retire in the next 10 years and Kentucky already faces a shortage of certified water and wastewater operators, the program was developed in concert with the United States Department of Labor to train workers in the region to fill the gap. The H2O Apprenticeship Program creates a pipeline of highly qualified operators for rural utilities and stable, quality careers for new entrants to the workforce, dislocated workers, and incumbent workers at minimal cost to the apprentices or local utilities. Ten candidates have completed the program so far and gone on to obtain other certifications in the field. The District has provided grant administration and oversight, as well as outreach and recruitment for the program.

Lowcountry Council of Governments

Lowcountry Biz Connect

 Website  Project Partners: Beaufort County Economic Development; SCDEW; Adult Education; Vocational Rehabilitation Summary: Lowcountry Biz Connect is an employer-focused center designed to connect the region’s businesses to resources. The Center was developed to create a one-stop access point where employers could connect with the resources they need to recover and grow at no cost to their bottom line. Each hub is staffed with workforce development business services personnel trained to offer employers access to talent recruitment, financial incentives, funding, and resources for new and existing businesses. The Lowcountry Council of Governments developed and implemented the program. Although it began operations only recently, the Center has so far engaged two businesses and has seen success with word-of-mouth marketing from the firms it has assisted. Going forward, it is anticipated that the Center will serve as a focal point for business growth and networking, encouraging new collaborations and spillovers between industries in the region.

Lumber River Council of Governments

COVID-19 Employment Program

 Website  Project Partners: Local Area Employers; Local Area Community College; Future Truckers of America; Miller Motte College; Carolina Trucking Academy; Roadmasters Drivers School; NC Department of Commerce Division of Workforce Solutions; Local Area NCWorks Career Centers Summary: The Lumber River Council of Governments’ Workforce Development Division has worked over the past two years to help the regional economy recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. As part of those efforts, the Council has overseen an on-the-job training and educational program throughout the region and in an adjacent county to meet the needs of the changing job market. The agency has provided more than $400,000 in on-the-job training grants for more than 30 individuals to 15 employers, allowing for the successful reemployment of these individuals. As the program evolved, staff recognized the need for additional CDL certifications for the region’s employers. Based upon this recognition, combined with the ability for these jobs to provide excellent paying jobs for the region’s job seekers, they have been able to provide funding to allow over 40 individuals to complete their CDL certification and achieve ongoing unsubsidized employment.

Mark Twain Regional Council of Governments

Workforce Resource Assistance Program (WRAP)

 Website  Project Partners: Economic Development Administration; Mexico Area Chamber of Commerce; The Mexico Sustainability Project Summary: In order for businesses to keep facilities in a rural area, they must have a reliable workforce. A key part of the Mark Twain region’s Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy is to retain jobs in the region, and that is where the Workforce Resource Assistance Program (WRAP) comes in. With an already limited workforce in rural areas, high turnover rates can cause businesses to consider relocating. The support available to businesses and employees through the WRAP can help businesses retain employees and ultimately keep businesses in the Mark Twain region. Specifically, the program employs a Workforce Specialist trained to guide employees through personal and professional skills development. The program was designed to adapt to current workforce needs and has assisted hundreds of employees to date with personal needs that may have otherwise kept them out of the workforce. The Mark Twain Regional Council of Governments leveraged its role as a trusted regional collaborator to develop, fund, and implement the WRAP program.

Mid-Carolina Regional Council

Fayetteville Metropolitan Housing Authority Training Project

 Website  Project Partners: Fayetteville Metropolitan Housing Authority; Fayetteville Technical Community College; Mid-Carolina Regional Council; NCWorks; Apprenticeship NC; City of Fayetteville’s Community and Economic Development Summary: Recognizing that careers in the skilled trades provide a pathway to economic mobility, the Mid-Carolina Regional Council coordinated with the Fayetteville Metropolitan Housing Authority to design a short-term construction skills training program. The idea was to provide introductory training to the skilled trades that could lead to participants acquiring stackable professional credentials while also linking to services to support self-sufficiency for candidates that had many barriers to employment. The first phase of the project was a success, with all ten participants—each a resident of Fayetteville Public Housing—achieving employment in the construction field upon graduating from the eleven-and-a-half-week course. The Council now seeks to modify and expand the program to support career pathways in a variety of technical fields, fulfilling both its strategic vision of upskilling existing residents while supporting business development through creating a pipeline of skilled workers.

Northeast Oregon Economic Development District

Northeast Oregon Workforce Housing

 Website  Project Partners: Rural Engagement and Vitality Center; Baker County Economic Development; Eastern Oregon Workforce Board; Oregon Department of Human Services, Grande Ronde Hospital; University of Oregon Institute for Public Research and Engagement Summary: The Northeast Oregon Workforce Housing Project is an effort led by the Northeast Oregon Economic Development District to engage diverse stakeholders in a dialogue about the region’s need for affordable workforce housing, and design short-term solutions to the problem. Developed as part of the District’s COVID-19 recovery process, the project convened a leadership team and five small work groups that met bi-weekly over a 6–9-month timeframe. Moreover, an associated webinar series and strategic training engaged more than forty regional leaders and educated them on potential housing solutions. The work groups have resulted in a zoning rewrite effort in one local county and the exploration of a potential community land trust developed by a local nonprofit. Increasing access to affordable housing is a priority for the District, which seeks to tame rapidly-rising housing costs and increase the local population in order to attract and retain businesses.

Ohio Valley Regional Development Commission

ARC INSPIRE Southern Ohio Employer Resource Network

 Website  Project Partners: Appalachian Regional Commission; Ohio Governor’s Office of Appalachia/Ohio Department of Development; Ohio Valley Regional Development Commission; Ross County Ohio Community Action Coalition; Jackson/Vinton County Ohio Community Action Organization; Adena Medical Center; Bellisio Foods Summary: The Ohio Valley Regional Development Commission’s ARC INSPIRE Southern Ohio Employer Resource Network is a pilot workforce development program implemented in a public-private partnership model with two major regional employers. The program embeds coaches in workplaces to help connect people in recovery and other employees to existing community services such as transportation, affordable housing, education and workforce training, financial literacy classes, childcare, legal assistance, and other essential life skills support. Aiming to build resilience and eliminate barriers to maintaining employment and long-term recovery in a region with a 17% unemployment rate, the program offers a far more comprehensive suite of services to participants than other off-the-shelf workforce development efforts. While it is still in the development stage, the two private partners have been brought onboard and coaches have begun their training for eventual deployment.

Piedmont Triad Regional Council

Workforce Transportation Initiative

 Website  Project Partners: Aging, Disability and Transportation Services; Piedmont Authority for Regional Transportation; North Carolina Department of Transportation Integrated Mobility Division; Piedmont Triad Regional Workforce Development Board; NCWorks Career Center of Rockingham; Goodwill Industries of Northwest North Carolina; Rockingham Community College; Rockingham County Economic Development; Various Rockingham Businesses Summary: The Workforce Transportation Initiative was implemented in response to a study by the Piedmont Triad Regional Council that identified the lack of reliable transportation as the number one barrier to employment in the region. Facing a perilous labor shortage in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, planners recognized that aligning available talent with jobs was crucial to overcoming workforce barriers and driving regional economic growth. The Council partnered with other regional and state entities to develop a micro-transit feasibility study and launch a pilot program in Rockingham County. The micro-transit solution was a unique model that required the collaboration of partners with no history of working together. The Piedmont Triad Regional Council was the ideal agency to lead the study and pilot program because of its existing reputation as a trusted convenor and collaborator for economic development in the region.

Southern Tier 8 Regional Board

Collaborative Recovery Empowerment of the Southern Tier

 Website  Project Partners: Kowalik and Associates; Organizational Wellness Learning Systems; Broome- Tioga Workforce; Commerce Chenango; Broome County Leadership Alliance; LEAF Council on Alcoholism and Addictions; The Family & Children's Society; The Alcohol & Drug Council of Tompkins County Summary: The Collaborative Recovery Empowerment program of the Southern Tier aims to address the Southern Tier 8 region’s substance use disorder crisis through Recovery-to-Work Ecosystem development and expansion of supports for workforce readiness and workplace wellness. Over a two-year period, the Southern Tier 8 Regional Board brought together treatment providers, Workforce Investment Boards, chambers of commerce, and educators to reduce barriers to employment for individuals in recovery and develop local workplace wellness programs for businesses seeking employees and better retention of their workforce. To date, a communications strategy was developed for partners and three employees in recovery have been hired into sustained employment. Southern Tier 8 manages the project timeline, budget, reporting, and outreach to local businesses.

Three Rivers Planning & Development District

High School Career Coaches

 Website  Project Partners: Accelerate Mississippi; Mississippi Partnership Local Workforce Development Area; local school districts Summary: Recognizing that a trained and educated workforce is paramount to the success of individuals and employers in the region, the Three Rivers Planning & Development District created the High School Career Coaches program to expose and prepare students for a broad variety of college and career opportunities. The project establishes and provides funding for Career Coaches to be located in local school districts in the region. Career Coaches serve as a liaison between schools, students, and local businesses to identify and expose different educational and career opportunities for high school students, and identify opportunities for technical programs, apprenticeships, college programs, and immediate job placement. The Three Rivers Planning & Development District served as the applicant, administrative, and staffing entity for the project, which aims to help solidify the educational system with private sector employment needs and strengthen the future workforce of the region.

Three Rivers Regional Commission

WorkSource Three Rivers Firefighter II Incumbent Worker Training

 Website  Project Partners: West Georgia Technical College Summary: The Firefighter II Incumbent Worker Training (IWT) is a joint training effort between the Three Rivers Regional Commission, local governmental agencies, West Georgia Technical College, and WorkSource Three Rivers. Firefighter II training is a vital part of every firefighter’s career growth and can unlock additional upskilling opportunities, like EMT Paramedic, to create a pathway to economic mobility through public service. The Three Rivers Regional Commission supported the training program as a funder and convenor, ultimately providing training to 29 employees and increasing the readiness and operational capacity of the emergency services at four fire stations across three counties in the region.

Upper Coastal Plain Council of Governments

New Start Glow

 Website  Project Partners: Turning Point Workforce Development Board (TPWDB); Family Resource Center South Atlantic (FRCSA); Center for Energy Education (C4EE); Halifax Community College (HCC); Vocational Rehabilitation (VR); NCWorks Career Center – Roanoke Rapids; Local Employers/Businesses Summary: Citizen re-entry poses many challenges for formerly incarcerated individuals and their communities of residence. Securing and retaining jobs, identifying and renting affordable housing, accessing educational and other social services, and public fears and concerns about safety and recidivism all complicate the process of reintegrating into civil society. In order to ease this burden for its region’s residents, the Upper Plains Council of Governments partnered with local organizations to develop the New Start Glow re-entry program. The program works to connect participants with well-paying jobs in the in-demand solar industry, helping them to overcome stigma and biases to workforce success. Since inception, New Start Glow has enrolled more than 140 participants and 69% have found employment through the program.