Quarterly Update - September 2007

Over the past four months, June - September 2007, the ENVISION initiative has again continued to take steps forward and made several new accomplishments in addressing the key issues identified in the ENVISION Community Strategic Plan.

The volunteers involved in the four task forces, P-16+ Education, Grow the Economy, Effective Regionalism and Quality of Life, continue to be filled with high energy as they continue to meet regularly in order to maintain a steady momentum respective to their issues. TheChamber also continues to align its Program of Work with ENVISION’s goals.
Briefly,

 


P-16+ Education Task Force
Chair - Dr. Barbara Alford, In Sight Solutions, LLC

 

 

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GOAL:

Develop a quality, seamless P-16+ education structure for the Dothan City School System, Wallace Community College, Enterprise-Ozark Community College and Troy University Dothan that reflects special attention to workforce development.

Quarterly Update - September 2007:

As previously reported in the 3rd Quarter, the P-16+ Education Task Force has determined the following three projects for 2007-08:

Project #1:

Using the WorkKeys initiative as a center point, expand and strengthen the business/industry-education interaction into meaningful, sustained partnerships that increase student interest, persistence, performance and placement.
Project #2: 

Sponsor an annual Arts Festival that will showcase student art in the broadest possible sense. The festival will involve as many students, parents and teachers in Dothan-Houston County as possible and will demonstrate that “art” is an integral part of everyone’s life.
Project #3:

Support the student-led initiative, Students-for-Students (S4S), in the Dothan City and Houston County schools.

An implementation plan for Projects #1 and #2 has been drafted and is under review by the Task Force. The draft plan was presented to the ENVISION Steering Committee for their input on July 11. The Steering Committee recommended that the Task Force also consider additions to the project list to impact, more directly, the performance of students (i.e., graduation, persistence, test scores, etc.).

A representative panel from the S4S leadership team presented their concept to the ENVISION Steering Committee also on July 11. It was very well received, with Committee members stating that there would be support for the basic fiscal requests made by the students (i.e., t-shirts, printing for brochures, etc.). The S4S leadership team will meet again after the beginning of the Fall Term at their respective schools. Several participating high schools (Northside Methodist, Dothan, Northview, Ashford and Rehobeth) have already outlined their opening of school activities, with full start-up planned for mid-fall. Cottonwood and Wicksburg schools may join S4S at that time.

Subcommittee chairs have already volunteered for Projects #1 and #2, with these to be approved at the next Task Force meeting to be chaired by Bob Boyle, Michelin North America, Inc.  The Task Force will also identify strategies to significantly broaden the participation in Task Force activities, consider additions to the Task Force lead team and consider the requests from the ENVISION Steering Committee for additional projects.

With Dr. Barbara Alford assuming the chairmanship of the Chamber’s Dothan By Design, two ENVISION task force chairs will shift. On October 1, Dr. Alford will move to chair the Grow the Economy Task Force and Bob Boyle will take over as chair for the P-16+ Education Task Force. Smooth transitions are being arranged for both groups.

 

 
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Grow the Economy Task Force
Chair - Robert J. Theune, BD Ventures
   
GOAL:

Grow the Economy of Dothan and the Wiregrass region (City of Dothan, Houston, Geneva, Henry, Dale and Coffee counties).

Quarterly Update - September 2007:

The Grow the Economy Task Force continues to address the issues identified under their goal in the ENVISION Community Strategic Plan and may address the following possible projects:Develop a Dothan 2030 Plan, a regional road map to economic growth and diversification;

  • Support a business friendly environment that encourages innovation, creativity, entrepreneurship and start-up of small businesses;
  • Create a recognition program for area businesses with quality assurance programs and best practice models; and
  • Develop a viable marketing plan for the region.

 

 


 
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Effective Regionalism Task Force

 Chair – Michael D. Schmitz, Mike Schmitz Automotive Group
 
GOAL: Pursue effective regionalization (Wiregrass region, Southwest Georgia and Northwest Florida).

Quarterly Update - September 2007:

The Effective Regionalism Task Force continues to meet on a regular basis. Three of the Task Force’s recently formed work committees, have organized and developed action plans specific to their areas. A press conference was held in July to announce each committee’s exciting activities and strategies to the community.

EMS/EMA Committee

The EMS/EMA Committee is comprised of representatives from emergency medical services and emergency management agencies in an eight-county region of Southeast Alabama: Houston, Henry, Dale, Geneva, Pike, Barbour, Covington and Coffee counties.

Each of the Committee’s representatives, along with the agencies that they represent, belong to and are members of other local, state and national organizations, and when combined make a significant impact on the decision making process politically and otherwise.

The Committee’s purpose is to identify common issues that negatively impact the agencies and people that these representatives serve and the development of strategic plans to help resolve these issues. Through meaningful discussions and planning, the Committee feels that resolutions of these issues can occur. A detailed listing of agencies and their capabilities and resources in the eight-county region is currently being compiled.

Recently during an EMS/EMA summit in July, many issues were discussed. The top five issues identified included:

  • Communication;
  • Funding;
  • Mutual Aid Agreements;
  • Workforce Shortages; and
  • Training and Education.

The Committee agreed that Communication should be a priority and will begin working to assemble the information to address possible resolutions. Other work will be ongoing regarding the other issues through subcommittee activities.  The EMS/EMA Committee will continue to meet to address each issue in a proactive manner.

Regional Healthcare Committee

The Regional Healthcare Committee is comprised of the Southeast Alabama Hospital Council members. The Committee’s purpose is to identify actionable health needs in the communities within our eight-county area: Houston, Henry, Dale, Geneva, Pike, Barbour, Covington and Coffee. The chief executive officers, or their designee, will lead the planning efforts and will report progress to the Regional Healthcare Committee.

The Committee will conduct a regional health needs assessment then form community and/or county specific healthcare committees to validate findings of the assessment. Once the needs assessment is completed, the Committee will then develop plans of action.

This is a very exciting project for the Committee members, recognizing that each of our hospitals aspire to understand more completely the unmet health needs in the communities and counties they serve. 

Wiregrass Beautification Committee

The Wiregrass Beautification Committee has put together a clean-up program that is a regional initiative to:

  • Educate people about litter prevention and ways to reduce, reuse, recycle and properly manage waste materials;
  • Place emphasis on regional partnerships and alliances with citizens, businesses and government to improve the region; and
  • Focus on beautification, recycling and litter control.

The Committee will consider programs such as Keep America Beautiful and People Against Litter (PALS) as resources and a means of making the Wiregrass more attractive to individuals considering relocating to the area and to add economic value as industries also consider locating to the Wiregrass.

Recycling, litter control, prevention and beautification together make a community and a region more attractive to those who live there; more attractive to those considering living in a community; builds pride; attracts industry; improves the health of the community; and makes communities more livable.

Litter prevention, recycling and beautification of communities is simply "the right thing to do."

Other Effective Regionalism Task Force activities that have taken place during the 4th Quarter included the presentation of a program on ENVISION Effective Regionalism to the Wiregrass Forum in Ozark, AL. Also included in the presentation were two presentations on issues being addressed by the Task Force:

  1. Dr. Linda Young, president at Wallace Community College, discussed the work being done promoting workforce development; and

  2. Matt Parker, Dothan Area Chamber of Commerce president, discussed the Task Force’s Marketing Plan for the Southeast region.

 


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Chair – Dr. Joseph L. Johnson, Evergreen Presbyterian Church
 
GOAL: Enhance Dothan and the Wiregrass region’s quality of life (City of Dothan, Houston, Henry, Dale, Geneva and Coffee counties).
   

Quarterly Update - September 2007:

The Quality of Life Task Force continues to meet every two weeks to continue its work in subcommittees to forge ahead with specific goals and objectives. As identified in the 3rd Quarter, the subcommittees and to-date specific action plans are:

Enhancing the Arts/Downtown Revitalization

  • Serve as an advocate for the arts in the public schools and support the recent announcement of instructors being added to the Dothan City School system for academic year 2007-08;
  • Encourage the formation of a new arts organization to market and promote existing arts organizations, book entertainment, coordinate booking of the Opera House, etc. Meetings with city officials are ongoing; and
  • Encourage construction of new performing arts center (long-range).

Addressing the Needs of Senior Citizens

  • Become an active partner with the Southeast Alabama Regional Planning and Development Commission in expanding much needed transportation services in the community (fixed route bus system);

  • Encourage a feasibility study to assess the development potential of a senior-citizen-specific residential community;

  • Initiate and lead efforts to have Dothan officially designated as a “Senior Friendly Community”; and

  • Encourage continuing support for the Senior Resource Center, established by Southearn Alabama Regional Council on Aging.

Neighborhood Restoration

Areas of concern are housing, accountability within neighborhoods, homelessness, literacy, job training and teen awareness of drug issues, pregnancy, etc.

  • Work to identify a list of community resources and providers;

  • Tour communities in Districts1, 2 and part of 3 to identify a neighborhood, as well as the issues in the neighborhood;

  • Develop a capacity building strategy and works for its implementation to better ensure sustainability; and

  • Encourage the establishment of a Neighborhood Authority to gain funding for and coordinate the restoration of identified neighborhoods. Work would include house repair/renovation and/or building of new homes as well as job training.

This subcommittee met with the Dothan Downtown Redevelopment Authority and began discussions on collaborative work toward neighborhood restoration in areas surrounding the downtown business district. The subcommittee is also developing a covenant of agreement to be used in neighborhood restoration efforts to stimulate resident involvement.

 


Chamber Program of Work:

The Young Professionals’ Council held their second get together in August at the Cultural Arts Center in conjunction with the Chamber’s Network Exchange event. Their meeting again drew a large number of individuals from around the area. The group discussed the Council’s future and the different possible activities and/or projects that they felt needed their focus. The group plans to meet again on Thursday, September 20, in conjunction with the Wiregrass Museum of Art’s and Conference Center’s Art After Hours event.

 

As the activities identified above are being implemented, leaders and volunteers continue to come to the table prepared to "Create meaningful change in our community" in order "To grow the economy and grow the community."

Everyone in the community is a STAKEHOLDER in the ENVISION initiative, and to stay up-to-date on the activities, you are encouraged to visit the ENVISION web site, www.envisiondothan.com, as often as possible.