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Greetings!
Welcome to RegionWatch, the e-newsletter of the Alliance for
Regional Stewardship, the national network of regional leaders
learning together how to build strong communities. RegionWatch brings you
up to date on who's doing what in regions around the country. Read
on...
And
don't forget to register for the 14th National ARS Forum, held in
Ft. Lauderdale on November 15-17th, 2006! Learn more and register at: regionalstewardship.org/stewardshipforum.html
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Notes from the President and CEO |
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What I Did on My Summer Vacation
Well,
I didn't really take a summer vacation. What I have been doing these first
few months is getting out and visiting with regional leaders - from Ft.
Lauderdale to Silicon Valley, Louisville to Syracuse - and learning about
their successes, their initiatives, and their hopes and dreams. The short
story, folks, is that there are enormously talented and energetic citizens
out there working hard, and creatively, and successfully, to build
vibrant, competitive communities. These are folks who, as John Gardner
noted, see "a series of great opportunities brilliantly disguised as
insoluble problems". I hope you'll take a minute to learn more about them
and feel the energy that pours out of their efforts. |
Greater Washington: ARS Work Featured in Washington
Post |
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The
Envision Greater Washington Initiative, spearheaded by ARS Board Chair
George Vradenburg, is a multi-year, multimillion dollar initiative
bringing regional business, civic, and governmental leaders together to
chart a common course for growth in the rapidly expanding Washington
region. The Initiative, advised by ARS Senior Counsel John Parr and a team
of ARS Advisors, was featured in the Washington Post on June 21,
2006.
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Greater Kansas City: OneKCVoice |
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OneKCVoice is an ambitious attempt to engage regional citizens in
significant regional issues like transit and healthcare. A principal focus
of OneKC is to gain citizen input around a proposed bi-state regional
transit funding district, an outgrowth of the SmartMoves initiative of the
Mid-America Regional Council.
Learn more about OneKCVoice at: www.onekcvoice.org/
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Upstate NY: Rural Visioning and 40 Below |
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Good
things are happening in Upstate New York.
 ARS President and CEO David Thornburgh spoke at the
Future of Rural New York Symposium (July 19-21, 2006), organized by
Cornell's Community and Rural Development Institute, the Rural New York
Initiative, and the NY State Commission on Rural Resources. Over 200
people attended the conference to chart a dynamic course for the future of
NY's rural communities.
Learn more about the
Rural Vision Project: hosts.cce.cornell.edu/rnyi/documents/
Rural%20Vision%20one%20page%20description%202.pdf
 40 Below (http://www.40belowsummit.com/) is an initiative to retain
and/or draw young people to the Central Upstate New York region. Launched
at an October 2005 summit with over 1,100 young people in attendance, the
Initiative has grown into a larger catalyst for positive change in the
region. The Ford Foundation recently announced plans to foster "creative
communities" in Central Upstate New York's urban centers.
To
learn more about this and other efforts transforming the region to a
knowledge-based economy: www.mda-cny.com/pdf/184.pdf
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San Joaquin Valley, CA: Fresno Regional Jobs
Initiative |
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 The Fresno Regional Jobs Initiative is an effort to
increase jobs in the Fresno region, thereby creating sustainable economic
development. Thanks to the efforts of regional leaders, the San Joaquin
Valley has seen significant growth in construction, manufacturing,
information processing, and tourism. In July, San Joaquin Valley leaders
persuaded legislators to approve a $5 million appropriation to improve
economic conditions in this rapidly growing region. This will help fund
the effort to prepare the San Joaquin Valley for the predicted demographic
shifts to the region.
Learn more about these and other
RJI accomplishments: www.fresnorji.org/
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