Five counties in west central Indiana will market themselves using common principles as they try to spur shared growth.
Elected, business and nonprofit leaders from five counties assembled Friday in a Clay City community center for a regional summit hosted by the West Central Indiana Partnership.
Those officials were asked to sign a pact agreeing to align their common principles to achieve shared growth. Participating counties were those represented by the Wabash River Regional Development Authority: Clay, Parke, Sullivan, Vermillion and Vigo.
West Central Indiana Partnership executives Josh Alsip, Jess Crawford and Jonathan Eilbracht presented those assembled with new branding for WCI and introduced the pact.
Prior to the WCI Partnership announcements, Wabash River RDA board chairman Jon Ford led a conversation about READI 1.0 and 2.0.
The RDA received $20 million from the state of Indiana’s READI 1.0 funding, but was disappointed when it was only awarded $10 million from READI 2.0 after submitting $119,792,158 in project proposals to the state.
READI stands for Regional Acceleration and Development Initiative. The RDA believed it received a low-ball amount in the second round because the five counties did not establish a united front in their requests, and that chances for a bigger payday would be greater if the WCI Partnership has higher visibility.
Gift boxes and envelopes were placed at every seat of participants sitting around tables for the event. They read, “DO NOT OPEN Until Announced.”
Crawford introduced the new logo representing WCI branding — the letters “WC” containing images of a college graduation cap, an ear of corn, sunshine, the Wabash River, a Coca Cola contoured bottle, a courthouse and a covered bridge.
“Together, (the logo) tells our story,” Crawford said.
After displaying the new branding, she told audience members they could open the boxes, which all contained a coffee mug with the new logo. Attendees were then invited to check under their seats, where they found a T-shirt, a tote bag or a winter beanie with pom and sporting the logo.
Crawford said the brand will help tell the counties’ story together to attract investment and talent and build credibility with state and federal partners.
It would also help the counties feel “stronger together.”
“Each county can use the brand as their own,” she said.
Inside the envelopes, which were opened next, was a regional pact for those in attendance to sign, and a billboard-sized, illustrated copy of the pact was unveiled. VP for Regional Engagement Alsip explained the goals of the pact:
• To strengthen regional collaboration.
• To expand regional housing.
• To invest in regional infrastructure.
• To create economic development and workforce growth.
• To enhance regional quality of life.
Alsip, who joined WCI a year ago, said, “The core of our work is getting our regional leaders to work together and advance opportunities together, small and large. Our work has been one by one, building this coalition of leaders.”
He added, “When we bring in leadership from the federal level and the state level — they see that we’re working together. They don’t view our communities as individual — you’re looking at Terre Haute and seeing all the surrounding counties. The regions that view it that way get ahead … and build those future opportunities.”
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