ANDERSON — Madison County is one of just two counties selected to take part next year in a statewide program to foster community collaboration, quality of life and economic development.

Lt. Governor Micah Beckwith announced Thursday that Madison and Warrick counties were selected for the Rural Empowerment and Development Program.

The RED initiative is a comprehensive capacitybuilding and planning program created by the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs and the Indiana Communities Institute at Ball State University.

“Through the RED program, Madison and Warrick counties will provide Hoosiers with even more opportunities to thrive,” Beckwith said in a press release. “I’m excited to watch these communities bring their ideas to life and see the positive difference it makes for families and local businesses.”

Clayton Whitson, executive director of the Madison County Chamber of Commerce, said the Chamber has taken the local lead on the project.

“Through this program, the Chamber, along with all of our municipal and community partners, will undergo training and coaching with the Indiana Communities Institute to help build capacity and foster collaboration between municipalities and organizations,” he said in a statement.

“Over the course of the next several months, we will identify and develop 5 to 15 actionable projects to improve the quality of life here in Madison County.”

Madison County’s participation in the RED program will start in January.

The initiative is designed to help communities build capacity by expanding on previous community development efforts and incorporating innovative new approaches, the press release announcing the award said.

The program provides hands-on, relevant and productive experiences tailored for communities looking to elevate their economic development vision through local collaboration.

“Congratulations to these two counties for being selected to participate in this valuable program,” said Fred Glynn, executive director of the Office of Community and Rural Affairs. “I look forward to seeing what Madison and Warrick counties accomplish over the next year and beyond.” This year, RED’s first cohort group of counties has built local leadership skills, engaged residents and gathered ideas to shape their communities’ future, according to the Community and Rural Affairs website.

Here are the initiatives undertaken by those counties:

• Cass County created “living rooms” at fairs and festivals to spark conversations and capture community stories.

• Fulton County used QR codes, school newsletters and storefronts to invite countywide feedback.

• Huntington County collected on-the-spot survey responses at local events using tablets and in-person interviews.

• Orange County met residents where they gather to talk about strengths and future opportunities, using surveys and other tools to capture data.
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