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Do wnstate Summit: Creating a Common Voice. Jean Anne Grunloh and Brian Moody ECIDC Executive Director ECIDC Vice President. Presented to 23 rd Annual Rural Community Economic Development Conference March 7, 2012 Peoria, Illinois. Overview.
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Downstate Summit: Creating a Common Voice Jean Anne Grunloh and Brian Moody ECIDC Executive Director ECIDC Vice President Presented to 23rd Annual Rural Community Economic Development Conference March 7, 2012 Peoria, Illinois
Overview • Who is ECIDC and Why Did We Host a Downstate Summit? • Who Were Our State-Wide Partners and Sponsors? • Results from the Inaugural Event • Motivations for On-Going Collaboration • What is Being Done to Carry Forward the Initiative? • How Can you Add your Voice to Downstate?
Why Hold a Downstate Meeting? • Support revitalization of a Downstate Caucus • Bring together development leaders to find a common voice on key economic development issues • Develop a “pro” Illinois message “Invent your future. If you don’t someone else will. You can count on it.” ~ Lou Tice
Statewide Partners • Guest Speakers • Event Sponsors • Key Development Issues
Motivations for Collaboration • Continued Population Declines in Downstate Rural • Rural Areas will Lose Representation • Non-metro Depends on Metro for Jobs • Elderly Need Access to Health Care • Youth Desire Access to High-Paying Employment • Metro Businesses Rely on Non-metro for Customers • Metro Businesses Need Dependable Work Force • Difficult for Small Governments to Provide Services • Small Governments Benefit from Regional Economies of Scale Center for Governmental Studies
Downstate Summit Attendees were Surveyed for: • Need for a downstate meeting • Top three economic development issues • Value of Supporting a Downstate Caucus • Importance of Collaboration • Use and Value of TIF Districts • Use and Value of Enterprise Zones • Willingness to serve on a task force
Survey Results - Key Takeaways • Need for a downstate meeting • 100% of respondents requested annual event • Top economic development issues • Lack of skilled workforce • Continued population decline • Adequate infrastructure • Job creation is key • Value of Supporting a Downstate Caucus • 100% of respondents supported revitalization of bipartisan downstate caucus
Survey Results - Key Takeaways • Importance of Collaboration • Opportunity exists for more meaningful collaboration between communities and regions of the state • TIF Districts vital tool for rural communities • Effective to stimulate economic development • Average project ranging from $100,000 - $1,000,000 • Enterprise Zones instrumental for many • 58% of EZ communities to be negatively impacted within 5 years without extension of legislation – 47% in less than 2 years • Willingness to serve on a task force • 125 volunteered for future committees
Making Illinois More Competitive:Summit Breakout Session • Form sub-groups to develop action items • Positive narratives and better collaboration in marketing and messaging • Communicate to legislators vital role of TIF and EZ in downstate communities • Develop regional strategic initiatives • Identify effective models and align existing organizations and groups
Making Illinois More CompetitiveTask Force - Next Steps • Host meeting of volunteers for committee • Identify assets & resources of volunteers • Link & leverage to create new opportunities • Develop initial Strategic Action Plan and various Strategic Initiatives to implement action
What’s Ahead? • Steering Committee • Task Force Chairs • Steering, Communications, Enterprise Zones, TIF and Making Illinois More Competitive • 2nd Annual Meeting, Fall 2012 • Look for more details to come “Education – Leadership – Action”
How Can You Add Your Voice? • Visit downstatevoice.org and create a user account (help us build a data base of downstate leaders) • Join a Task Force • Communicate a Pro-Illinois Message – Share Success Stories • Attend the Fall 2012 Downstate Meeting • Encourage your legislators to Revitalize a Downstate Caucus
For Further InformationContact: Jean Anne Grunloh Brian Moody ECIDC Executive Director ECIDC Vice President & jgrunloh@lakeland.cc.il.us Executive Director, Tuscola Economic Dev. Inc. brian.moody@tuscola.org East Central Illinois Development Corporation 1204 Network Center, Effingham, IL 62401 217-540-3517 www.ecidc.com or downstatevoice.org