Introductions

1. Scott Loveridge, Ph.D. Director, North Central Regional Center for Rural Development 66 Agriculture Hall Michigan State UniversityEast Lansing, MI 48824 Phone: 517 432-9969 loverid2@msu.edu http://aec.msu.edu/faculty/loveridge.htm Introductions First Impressions: A Time Tested Community Assessment Tool

2. Kelly Nix, Ph.D. Assistant Professor West Virginia University Community Resources & Economic Development 702 Knapp Hall / P.O. Box 6031 Morgantown, WV  26506-6031 Direct Line:  304.293.8680 Kelly.Nix@mail.wvu.edu http://cewd.ext.wvu.edu First Impressions: A Time Tested Community Assessment Tool

3. Myra L. Moss, Associate Professor Heart of Ohio EERALicking County Extension Office 771 E. Main St. Suite 103, Newark Ohio 43055Phone: 740.607.5177Email: moss.63@cfaes.osu.eduwww.sustainabledevelopment.osu.edu First Impressions: A Time Tested Community Assessment Tool

4. Andy Lewis, Professor Contact Information: Community Development Specialist University of Wisconsin Extension 660 W. Washington Ave., Suite 309Madison, WI 53703 (608) 890-4254 andy.lewis@uwex.edu First Impressions: A Time Tested Community Assessment Tool

5. “It ain’t what you don’t know that gets you into trouble. It’s what you know for sure that just ain’t so.” Mark Twain First Impressions: A Time Tested Community Assessment Tool

6. What do visitors really think about our community? First Impressions: A Time Tested Community Assessment Tool

7. Are we, what we say we are? First Impressions: A Time Tested Community Assessment Tool

8. The Secret Shopper Concept First Impressions: A Time Tested Community Assessment Tool

9. The Power of Peer Learning First Impressions: A Time Tested Community Assessment Tool

10. The Model • Communities are matched, based on location, size, economy, etc. • Each community conducts a “secret shopper” visit • Reports are exchanged First Impressions: A Time Tested Community Assessment Tool

11. Why do an Exchange? • Helps focus priorities • Builds case for project funding • Builds relationships with other communities • Cost-effective • Short time commitment • Easy to implement….good first step • Generates excitement • Fun! First Impressions: A Time Tested Community Assessment Tool

12. Removing the Rose Colored Glasses “All too often people and organizations say – and may honestly believe – that they want to improve. But they go about it the wrong way. Too much self-evaluation and too little outside evaluation may mask real problems and opportunities”. Dubuque Telegraph Herald Editorial on the First Impressions Program 5-15-1991 First Impressions: A Time Tested Community Assessment Tool

13. Community Optical Illusions • Visitors see things that the residents don’t • Visitors often see assets where residents see deficits and vice versa First Impressions: A Time Tested Community Assessment Tool

14. LIST OF WISCONSIN COMMUNITIES First Impressions: A Time Tested Community Assessment Tool

15. First Impressions First Impressions: A Time Tested Community Assessment Tool

16. ADAPTATIONS/MODIFICATIONS First Impressions: A Time Tested Community Assessment Tool 1st First Impressions Visit, April 15, 1991 (Fennimore, WI visited Bellevue, Iowa) First Impressions, K-State Research & Extension, Huck Boyd National Institute for Rural Development, 1992 First Impressions for County Fairs, 1993 Community Swap program, University of Illinois Extension, 1993 First Impressions for Heritage Tourism Sites, 1995 First Impressions for State Parks, 1995 Resort Impressions, 1997 First Impressions, West Virginia Extension, ~1997 Best Practices: Recruitable Community Program (RCP), 1998 (Health Care professionals, WV First Impressions for Business, West Virginia Extension, 2000 First Impressions of the U.W. Extension Office, 2002 First Impressions, The Ohio State University Extension, Main Street First Impressions, The Ohio State University Extension, First Impressions, Ontario, Canada (Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs), 2005 First Impressions, Alberta, Canada (Agriculture and Rural Development), 2008 Mississippi State Extension, 2006 First Impressions added to the International Municipal Econoimic Development Toolkit (USAID), 2008 First Impressions, Saskatchewan, Canada (Saskatchewan East Enterprise Region), ~2009

17. Kelly Nix, Ph.D. Assistant Professor West Virginia University Community Resources & Economic Development 702 Knapp Hall / P.O. Box 6031 Morgantown, WV  26506-6031 Direct Line:  304.293.8680 Kelly.Nix@mail.wvu.edu http://cewd.ext.wvu.edu First Impressions: A Time Tested Community Assessment Tool

18. Past Evaluations First Impressions: A Time Tested Community Assessment Tool University of Wisconsin (1992) West Virginia University (2000)

19. WVU Long-Term Impact Evaluation First Impressions: A Time Tested Community Assessment Tool WVU Program Background Evaluation Purpose, Goal and Objectives

20. Methodology First Impressions: A Time Tested Community Assessment Tool

21. Data collection process First Impressions: A Time Tested Community Assessment Tool Data Collection – telephone survey Survey participants – First Impressions community contact Response rate – 56%

22. Survey Questions First Impressions: A Time Tested Community Assessment Tool • Overall, do you believe the First Impressions Program had a beneficial impact on your community? [Yes, No] • As a result of the First Impressions Program, has the general condition of your community… [Improved, Not Improved, Unknown] • Out of the program suggestions that were made about your community, which ones have directly led to community improvements?

23. Survey questions cont. First Impressions: A Time Tested Community Assessment Tool • Has the First Impressions Program impacted your community in terms of other improvements? • Were there barriers that prevented you from implementing the suggestions? • In addition to the First Impressions Program, what other programs has your community been engaged with?

24. Overall Results First Impressions: A Time Tested Community Assessment Tool Beneficial impacts were made as a result of participation – 89% General condition of their community improved – 67%

25. Program Suggestions Implemented by Communities First Impressions: A Time Tested Community Assessment Tool

26. Program Barriers First Impressions: A Time Tested Community Assessment Tool Limited ability to carry out improvements – 89% Money and Resources – 72% Human Capital and Vision – 28% Turnover in Government Leadership – 11%

27. Overcome Barriers First Impressions: A Time Tested Community Assessment Tool Engaging in partnerships and other programs Actively seek grants

28. Implications/Recommendations First Impressions: A Time Tested Community Assessment Tool • Several communities looked inward and identified additional areas for improvement; • Report findings were used to secure monetary resources; • New partnerships were formed at the state and regional levels; • Broader community participation in decision making at the local level was noticeable.

29. First Impressions: A Time Tested Community Assessment Tool Without a sense of caring, there can be no sense of community.-Anthony Burgess

30. Myra L. Moss, Associate Professor Heart of Ohio EERALicking County Extension Office 771 E. Main St. Suite 103, Newark Ohio 43055Phone: 740.607.5177Email: moss.63@cfaes.osu.eduwww.sustainabledevelopment.osu.edu First Impressions: A Time Tested Community Assessment Tool

31. What is your Community’s Image? The message you intend to send… The message you do send! First Impressions: A Time Tested Community Assessment Tool

32. First Impressions… Provides first time visitor’s view of community to… • Assess effectiveness of local planning efforts • Identify what needs to be improved • Build on what is working well • Gather unbiased input into planning process First Impressions: A Time Tested Community Assessment Tool

33. Ohio’s First Impressions Programs • Community • Downtown/Main Street • Byways & Tourism Corridors First Impressions: A Time Tested Community Assessment Tool

34. Ohio’s Experience… Programs to date: • 29 Communities • 6Main Streets • 2 Byways First Impressions: A Time Tested Community Assessment Tool

35. First Impressions Community Profiles… • Average community size: 8,800 • Smallest: 922; Largest: 36,494 • County seats: 46% • Chamber involvement: 70% • Travel or CVB involvement:15% • Extension Partnership: 73% First Impressions: A Time Tested Community Assessment Tool

36. First Impressions Process • Match similar communities • Secure local sponsors • Identify and train volunteer visitors • Conduct visit and complete survey • Produce final report • Present report to matched community First Impressions: A Time Tested Community Assessment Tool

37. Finding #1: Readiness • Communities often do not send the message that they intend to send. Either the feature or image is not clearly stated or some other feature distracts from the intended message. First Impressions: A Time Tested Community Assessment Tool

38. Community Readiness First Impressions: A Time Tested Community Assessment Tool 73% of communities had Tourism as a major economic development strategy, but… Only 63% of those communities had a clear idea of the message that they wanted to send, and… Only 11% of those communities were successful in sending the message that they intended to send

39. Wonderful Swiss Theme Most of us had no problem finding the business section of town quickly. We instantly had an urge to shop and eat. We were all very impressed with the unity and beauty of the village. First Impressions: A Time Tested Community Assessment Tool

40. Finding #2: Readiness • Directional and informational signage is unclear and/or confusing. This frustrates the visitor, makes it easy to miss important features and leaves, at best, a cluttered impression. First Impressions: A Time Tested Community Assessment Tool

41. Community Readiness First Impressions: A Time Tested Community Assessment Tool 95% of communities had insufficient and/or confusing directional and informational signage Made it difficult to find key community features and amenities, such as schools, parks and industrial parks 65% of communities had unattractive signage – often at major entrances

42. What? Where? • We were a little confused by some of the signage. Here’s an example of what we found. First Impressions: A Time Tested Community Assessment Tool

43. Finding #3: Readiness • Local awareness of unique assets and resident’s role as ambassador is often not understood. First Impressions: A Time Tested Community Assessment Tool

44. Community Readiness First Impressions: A Time Tested Community Assessment Tool Of the 32 community visits, very few visitation teams encountered knowledgeable, friendly and positive residents Businesses often visit unannounced to get a feel for the community as a place to do and locate a business. The hospitality and knowledge of local people, and friendliness to strangers, leaves a lasting impression.

45. Ambassadors Folks on the street and shop owners were generally more than eager to offer suggestions. We suggest that you consider producing a visitor’s guide offering ideas to visitors. You offer many singular attractions in the area such as the Winery, Cheese House, Bulk Food Store, Fabulous Restaurants, Shopping, Brickyard, Furniture Store, and a Gateway to Amish Country. We felt that you could direct more traffic to each other if you united and displayed a common brochure, map, poster, or signage of things to do while in Sugarcreek. What to do in Sugarcreek First Impressions: A Time Tested Community Assessment Tool

46. NEXT Steps… First Impressions: A Time Tested Community Assessment Tool Wisconsin version of the Site Coordinator’s Guide, and Team Members Guide books are available via download at: http://blogs.ces.uwex.edu/cced/2012/08/04/first-impressions-program-2/ or, http://tinyurl.com/fimpressions West Virginia http://cred.ext.wvu.edu/programs/first_impressions Ohio State http://comdev.osu.edu/node/269