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VALDOSTA — Mary Beth Brownlee, director of the One Valdosta-Lowndes initiative, addressed the Lowndes County Fee, unveiling the group’s strategic plans geared toward fostering group engagement and addressing key points within the space.
Throughout the presentation, Brownlee spoke of the group’s preliminary priorities: Engagement, Expertise, Place and Alternative.
The engagement facet focuses on the significance of resident and chief involvement in “shaping the group’s future and making certain its success,” she mentioned.
The group’s early evaluation a number of years in the past was that “The group is split and there’s a lack of belief. Leaders are afraid to handle race and socioeconomic tensions as a result of it’s uncomfortable, and nobody has all of the solutions”.
Brownlee mentioned, nonetheless, the excellent news is that relations have shifted in a optimistic route since that preliminary evaluation.
“Management has modified throughout the group, in lots of methods since 2017. I feel there’s nonetheless some items of it which may linger. Different (points) have been addressed utterly, however I put it on the market to point out you the way we bought to the place we’re and among the key takeaways from that planning effort…there was a way of division in that group and maybe it wasn’t as robust because it could possibly be. I feel that’s modified drastically. I don’t know that it’s wholly solved,” she mentioned.
One other key discovering from the planning effort revealed that poverty charges had been recognized as a typical concern, not distinctive to Lowndes County however prevalent all through South Georgia.
“How can we modify that right here in our group? It’s specializing in the scholars, specializing in the college and actually leveraging them to put money into our industries right here and put money into our small enterprise right here,” she mentioned.
The strategic priorities outlined by One Valdosta-Lowndes embody initiatives comparable to The Longest Desk, which seeks to foster connections inside the group, and the Neighborhood Heroes Program, geared toward recognizing and honoring important staff comparable to first responders and well being care professionals.
One other goal is to align training and coaching with workforce wants, leveraging the mental capital at Valdosta State College and Wiregrass Georgia Technical School to drive group and workforce growth, she mentioned. The Examine at Residence-South Georgia initiative focuses on offering experiential studying alternatives.
One Valdosta-Lowndes additionally envisions the group rising as a regional chief and establishing “a singular sense of place that residents can embrace and revel in,” she mentioned. Strategic priorities on this regard embody the River Camp/Land Between the Rivers Park Grasp Plan and business redevelopment corridors comparable to Georgia Beer to Downtown/Unity Park.
To create a vibrant group with ample job alternatives, Brownlee pointed to the significance of financial growth and leveraging key property comparable to Moody Air Power Base, VSU, WGTC and South Georgia Medical Heart. Initiatives like concierge tourism, Lake Park Retailers/Redevelopment and the persevering with growth of Valdosta Regional Airport are among the many strategic priorities.
Transferring ahead, One Valdosta-Lowndes plans to proceed group engagement by way of focus teams, listening classes and group interviews. A capital marketing campaign can be launched by the tip of the yr.
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