Chair's Column for GEDA Newsletter - February 2019
Hello Friends,
It feels like spring and it’s only the first week of February! Unfortunately, we had to cancel our plans at the Capitol due to the possibility of snow. Given Punxsutawney Phil’s Groundhog Day prediction of an early spring, hopefully we won’t have to worry about future cancellations.
To make up for part of the cancelled events, the GEDA Executive Committee, Public Policy Committee and Cornerstone representatives will host key House and Senate leaders for dinner the evening of the February GEDA meeting on February 18. We are appreciative of our sponsors of this dinner: Development Authority of Fulton County, Gray Pannell and Woodward LLP, Jackson EMC and Savannah Economic Development Authority.
Speaking of the February monthly meeting, 1st Vice Chairman, Chris Pumphrey, has coordinated an experienced panel of local economic development professionals featuring successful, practical and scalable workforce development initiatives. Workforce development seemed to be the number 1 issue for site selection consultants in 2018 and we are sure this will only continue to increase in its importance. Register for the February luncheon here.
And, just in time for Valentine’s Day, here’s a story about a Georgia community that wears its “Heart & Soul” on its community’s sleeves. I am very proud of the progress that Thomaston-Upson County has achieved over the past 18 months and especially proud that Jenny Robbins, Manager, Community Development, Georgia EMC Community & Economic Development, was selected to facilitate the first Community Heart & Soul program in Georgia. Read on to learn more about this dynamic nationwide program.
THOMASTON-UPSON COMMUNITY FOCUSES ON WHAT MATTERS MOST
INITIATIVE LOOKS TO STRENGTHEN COMMUNITY, LOCAL ECONOMY
For the past year a devoted group of residents in the Thomaston-Upson community has been busy connecting with and hearing from their neighbors across the region. They are working on generating a plan for Thomaston-Upson that makes it stronger, healthier and more economically vibrant, based on what matters most to local residents.
Despite suffering the effects of the closure of several major textile mills over the past decades, a strong feeling of hometown pride and possibility remains among residents here.
“Our community has been through some hard times. We’re at the point where we are ready for positive change. We’re embracing what we have in common, and we’re going to involve everyone and really delve into what matters most,” said Jennifer Rogers, who is the initiative’s project coordinator.
The Thomaston-Upson community (pop. 26,740) has been challenged by the departure of the textile industry, chiefly Thomaston Mills and B.F. Goodrich’s Martha Mills, which anchored the local economy throughout the 20th century. The Thomaston-Upson Community Heart & Soul® program is a collaboration of local government.
Thomaston-Upson Community Heart & Soul is at about the halfway mark for the two-year project. The initiative follows the model created by the Orton Family Foundation, a Vermont-based non-profit whose mission is to strengthen rural communities across the country. Thomaston-Upson is the first community in Georgia to participate and is one of 66 communities in 14 states that are in the process of completing or have completed projects.
Orton developed Community Heart & Soul as a result of more than a decade of testing in small cities and towns. The model is built on three principles: involve everyone, focus on what matters and play the long game.
How those principles play out is determined by shared priorities that arise as a result of hearing from everyone in the community, including those voices that are often missing in community dialogue. In the Thomaston area for the past year the Heart & Soul Team has been going to events and festivals to encourage residents to share their thoughts on sticky notes and chalk boards, as well as interviewing people at length to hear what they love about where they live and what they’d like to change. As a result the team has connected with more than 5,800 citizens and collected over 1,800 data points that will directly impact local-decision making.
The first result of will be a summary of the themes that emerged as residents shared their stories and ideas. With input from the community, these themes will become honed into Heart & Soul Statements that will then guide future decision-making including an action plan—immediate and long term—based on what residents most would like to see happen.
“When a community discovers what matters most to everyone, planning can begin from a place of positivity and strength. That renewed sense of pride and direction becomes a catalyst for change. It’s been our experience that when a town has a clear vision of itself, investors feel better about investing, grant makers see broad support behind applications, and things begin to happen,” said David Leckey, executive director, Orton Family Foundation.
Here are a few examples of change that came about in other Community Heart & Soul towns:
- Biddeford, Maine, (pop. 21,000) was known as “Trash Town” because of the industrial garbage incinerator downtown. But the facility provided 80 jobs and was the largest taxpayer in a town without a lot of options. Engagement activities during Biddeford’s Community Heart & Soul project made it clear that residents wanted the incinerator gone. That gave officials the backing they needed to buy the facility and close it. The move triggered major reinvestment with more than 90 new businesses and $90 million invested in the seven years after Heart & Soul.
- In McComb, Ohio, (pop. 1.600) Community Heart & Soul rekindled a sense of pride, as residents spent time considering what they love about where they live. While the project was underway, eight businesses celebrated openings, expansions and improvements marked by ribbon cuttings to turn the spotlight on the positive developments and keep the momentum going.
- Gardiner, Maine, (pop. 5,700) had lost 14 percent of its population in the decade from 2000 to 2010. The town built a business park at the edge of town, hoping to shore up the economy. It was $1 million in debt when Community Heart & Soul was launched in 2012. After Heart & Soul the town landed $1.9 million in Community Development Block Grants, and 55 jobs were created.
“Upson EMC is delighted to be a part of Thomaston-Upson Community Heart & Soul. We view our organization as a key partner in the community, and this unique program offers a way for us to work together with residents to engage everyone, recognize our strengths and achieve positive change,” said Neal Trice, Upson Electric Membership Corporation (EMC) President and CEO.
Upson EMC is supported in the project by the Community Development team at Georgia EMC, the statewide trade association that represents Upson EMC and 40 other electric co-ops across the state.
“I am honored to facilitate the first Community Heart & Soul program in Georgia,” said Jenny Robbins, manager of Georgia EMC’s Community Development team. “More importantly, Georgia EMC is delighted to support Upson EMC and the leaders of the Thomaston-Upson community. We look forward to watching all they will accomplish through this groundbreaking initiative.”