Over 200 community members participated in the recent Forward Together Visioning Summit. It was a dynamic two-hour exchange that I was very proud to be a part of.
The May 14 Summit was hosted by the Forward Together partners that are collaborating to develop a countywide vision and Economic Vitality Action Agenda. This includes the City of Flint, Genesee County and the Flint & Genesee Chamber of Commerce, along with a 24-person steering committee.
With such a significant opportunity before us, we have been very intentional about ensuring that broad representation of the community is engaged in this visioning process. We know that if we really want to craft an inclusive vision and plan – one that drives real, sustainable change to our community – we need as many perspectives as possible.
So, we were very pleased to see the gymnasium at Baker College of Flint filled with diverse members of the community – different races, ages, geographic locations, gender diversity and different job titles – gathered to learn more about the Forward Together process, hear the findings from economic research and participate in table discussions and activities.
It appeared that participants came to the meeting with an open mind. As I looked around the room, they were passionately engaged in discussions sharing their thoughts about what is needed to achieve greater economic vitality and make this region a place where people want to be. They talked about the need for greater opportunity for all, not just some groups. They talked about the need for neighborhood development strategies. I also heard participants expressing their appreciation of the partners working together to move the region forward. It was an informative, engaging meeting all the way around. It was great!
For those of you who were unable to participate in the Summit, you can still provide your perspective online by taking the survey at https://forwardtogethergenesee.org/.
When providing your input into this process, there are two things to keep in mind:
- Your comments will serve as the foundation for the community’s vision and contribute to the Action Agenda’s goals.
- All input from the Summit and through the online survey will be recorded, analyzed and developed into a report that will be published on the Forward Together website.
I want to thank the individuals who participated in the Summit. We appreciate your input and time. We hope you feel like it was time well-spent; and, for those of you who were not able to attend, I implore you to take a few minutes to go online and complete the survey. Let your voice be heard. Your community is counting on you.
Tim