Five Years of Progress: Taking the Next Step  

Five years ago the Alliance for Regional Stewardship was created at its first national gathering in Kohler, Wisconsin. From that first step, ARS has embraced an increasing number of regional stewards through its semi-annual national forums, Regional Stewardship Awards, John Gardner Academies and boot camps.

What have we learned from this experience so far? First, there is a growing recognition of the importance of diagnosing regional challenges using the regional stewardship framework that highlights the interdependence of an innovative economy, livable community, social inclusion and collaborative governance.  There is an increasing understanding that the critical issues focus on the intersections among these domains and require boundary crossing behavior. In fact, in discussions of the four part framework, there is often an ?a ha? moment when it becomes clear how regional stewardship integrates the other domains

Second, once a region has begun to diagnose its challenges using this regional stewardship framework, leadership teams usually begin a process of initiation followed by mobilization that leads to collaborative action that builds on a set of core practices. ARS has been documenting this process and practices in its series of monographs focused on each of the four regional stewardship domains as well as a curriculum for its academies and boot camps for each stage of the stewardship process. While each region faces its own unique issues, it is becoming increasingly clear that there are practices that can be documented and shared across regions. Monographs for all four domains and curriculum focus on different stages and practices of regional stewardship will be available by the November ARS national forum in Louisville.

Now it?s the time for ARS to take the next step in building a national movement.  Having demonstrated its value in helping regions diagnosis their challenges and identify best practices for addressing them, ARS is now ready to expand its efforts and reach more regional stewards.  Each of you is invited to help build this movement

Doug Henton
National Coordinator
John W. Gardner Academy for Regional Stewardship

President
Collaborative Economics
Mountain View , CA