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 On May 6th, the Alliance for Regional Stewardship (ARS) announced the recipients of the 2005 Regional Stewardship Award. Representatives of Greater San Diego?s Partnership for the New Economy, the Northeast Wisconsin Coalition on the Regional Economy (NEW CORE), and Northern Kentucky?s Vision 2015 each were presented with a $15,000 stipend at the ARS National Forum on Regional Stewardship in Washington D.C.
The annual awards recognize the innovative work of regional alliances and organizations that have demonstrated progress in all four elements of ARS? Principles for Regional Stewardship (collaborative governance, innovative economy, livable communities, and social inclusion) and that have achieved tangible results, increased regional capacity, and shown the potential for sustainability.
A key goal of the program is to educate other regions of best practices. The cash award is intended to be used to continue the work in the region and support the costs the award recipients will incur while sharing their stories with peers in other regions. The Morgan Family Foundation has sponsored the awards for the past two years.
?These award recipients are being recognized for their outstanding efforts in using a collaborative, cross-jurisdictional approach to addressing key regional issues,? said John Parr, ARS executive director. ?We commend these regional stewards for their dedication, hard work, and commitment to the ARS guiding principles.?
For more information on the ARS Regional Stewardship Awards, contact Amy Carrier, Alliance Manager, at or by calling .
Northern Kentucky
The three northernmost counties in Kentucky situated across the Ohio River from Cincinnati, Ohio constitute the region known as Northern Kentucky. Boone, Campbell and Kenton counties comprise 561 square miles, surrounded on three sides by the Ohio River. Since the 1980s, the region has been engaged in a strategic visioning process. The current effort, Vision 2015, is part of a regional continuous improvement process now in its third phase (www.libertastechnologies.com/vision2015/).
Northern Kentucky?s initial strategic visioning process began as a result of a challenge from the then governor. That effort focused on economic development and urban revitalization, resulting in over 36,000 new jobs for the region and public and private investment along the waterfront. In the mid-90s, the Chamber and economic development organization launched the second effort which focused on human development. More than 1,000 people participated in a process that identified 44 goals related to the economy, education, human development and regionalism. Out of that effort, Forward Quest was formed to lead the implementation of the goals. Forward Quest works with a number of regional partners including the Metropolitan Growth Alliance, Northern Kentucky University, SouthBank Partners, Thomas Moore College, Tri-County Economic Development Corporation and others. These partners continue to lead the current Vision 2015 effort focusing on economic competitiveness, education excellence, effective governance, livable communities and urban revitalization.
The region has focused on providing workforce training for technical jobs, especially for low-income, urban core residents. The Urban Learning Centera partnership among Forward Quest, NKU, Thos. Moore College, Gateway Community College and other educational institutionsprovides free continuing education for disadvantaged people; enabling many local residents to continue their education (www.urbanlearningcenter.org). The Transportation Authority of Northern Kentucky operates the SouthBank Shuttle, which provides transit for workers to destinations in the region and downtown Cincinnati (www.tankbus.org). Restoration of an abandoned railroad bridge spanning Newport, KY and Cincinnati into a pedestrian bridgethe Purple People Bridgefacilitated tourism and entertainment revitalization on both sides of the Ohio River.
While past efforts of its strategic visioning were criticized for not being inclusive enough, Vision 2015 is making a concerted effort to reach out to neighborhood stakeholders who are most affected by urban core revitalization and including them in the planning and decision-making process. Vision 2015 also reaches out to local elected officials as it considers consolidation of public services and functions.
For its on-going commitment to regional stewardship and continuous improvement in regional visioning resulting in critical, tangible outcomes, Northern Kentucky was chosen to receive a 2005 Regional Stewardship Award.
Greater San Diego
In the early 1990?s, San Diego?s economy suffered as a result of downsizing in the military. Long dependent on the Navy for both employment and a population needing services, the region quickly came to the realization that to move successfully forward, there was a need to diversify the economy and build upon other strengths.
In 1997 the Partnership for the New Economy was formed. A collaboration between public officials, economic developers, educational institutions, technology leadership, and industry associations, the Partnership explored the constraints inhibiting the growth of new sectors. Through forums and dialogue, the Partnership identified a number of key issues facing the region, including transit options, affordable housing, fiscal reform and economic prosperity, and educational opportunities.
Through the Partnership, the region has engaged in a number of efforts to address these issues. In 2001, the University of CaliforniaSan Diego established the Rady School of Management (http://management.ucsd.edu). The Chancellor of UCSD has credited the Partnership as being a catalyst in bringing this $100+ million project to fruition. Through the ongoing Corporate Leaders Advocating Success Skills (CLASS), by 2004 over 200 high-level business volunteers had shared ?real world? experiences with over 6,000 students in nearly all 72 high schools in the region. High Tech High, which focuses on secondary math and science education and enrolls a high percentage of disadvantaged students, is operating two high schools and one middle school with over 1,000 students and a 100% rate of graduates attending college (www.hightechhigh.org).
In November 2004, citizens of the entire San Diego County, including city residents, passed Proposition Aa measure that will bring in over $14 billion in revenue to address changing transit needs while simultaneously providing for environmental conservation. The Proposition A campaign was carried out through a collaborative effort led by the San Diego Regional Economic Development Corporation (www.sandiegobusiness.org) and involved environmental organizations, citizen taxpayer groups, and local elected officials.
Through the San Diego Dialogue (SDD), an organization that promotes civic discussion on the region's future, a number of efforts have been undertaken to encourage cross-border economic collaboration, advance a sustainable pattern of growth in San Diego County, and address school reform (www.sandiegodialogue.org). SDD has also played an active role in convening and supporting a network of civic organizations known as the San Diego Quality of Life Coalition.
San Diego?s model of regional stewardship has been promoted throughout the state of California and across the United States. For their broad vision of regional stewardship, outstanding commitment to place, and multi-faceted collaborative efforts, San Diego was chosen to receive a 2005 Regional Stewardship Award.
Northeast Wisconsin
Northeast Wisconsin, covering 18 counties (roughly one-fourth of the state?s land mass) and home to 1.2 million people, has some of the highest concentrations of manufacturing employment in the country and is possesses many agricultural assets. While traditionally enjoying a strong economy and high quality of life, over the past decade the region has seen a downturn in the economy, due in large part to the loss of manufacturing jobs to competition, productivity gains, and technological substitution.
Recognizing the need to address this critical issue quickly, numerous regional stewardship efforts were undertaken in 2001 and 2002. Several dominant themes were identified for pursuit by the region, including the importance of regionalism, collaboration, and stewardship; most importantly, however, the region focused on the importance of entrepreneurism (www.neweconomyproject.org).
Since 2001, a number of collaborative initiatives have been launched. The Northeast Wisconsin Coalition on the Regional Economy (NEW CORE) coordinates partnerships between educational institutions, local governments, planning commissions, workforce development boards, chambers of commerce, and other groups and organizations in the region.
The region has already experienced a number of successes through its initiatives. A 12-week entrepreneurship training series through UW-Oshkosh has resulted in the creation of over 50 new ventures by graduates. Nearly 1,300 new jobs have been created through technology zone tax credits and the efforts of the Northeast Wisconsin Economic Development Partnership (NEWEDP). Half a dozen new collaborative educational programs have been created, including a joint UWOshkosh/Northeast Wisconsin Technical College MBA program and a Fox Valley Technical College/Milwaukee School of Engineering Electrical Engineering Bachelor?s degree, with over 350 students taking advantage of the programs. And new corporations are being attracted to the region, such as Kuka Robotics, who has decided to construct their North American training center at the Fox Valley Technical Center.
In a region where minority groups make up only 6% of the population, numerous initiatives have been undertaken to ensure a high quality of life for all citizens. In December 2003, Hmong refugees from Thailand immigrated to the United States, many settling in Wisconsin and Minnesota. The region made sure that the newly arriving families would have food, clothing, housing, furniture, social services, and opportunities to use apply their skills or learn new ones needed for the workplace.
Known for ?beer, brats, cheese, and the Packers,? the Northeast Wisconsin region is making great strides in changing the image of the region and introducing numerous educational and economic opportunities for its citizens. For their outstanding initial achievement and incredible promise for the future, Northeast Wisconsin was chosen to receive a 2005 Regional Stewardship Award.
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