Heartland Partnership joins development restructure effort
- Details
- Published on Thursday, 30 August 2012 15:20
- Written by Paul Gordon
HP chairman Mark Spenny appointed to committee after Partnership requests it be done
The Heartland Partnership, which heretofore felt it had been left out of some critical decision making that has disrputed the organization, will now be part of its own restructuring.
The Partnership announced Monday that Mark Spenny, chairman of its board of directors, was appointed to the Regional Economic Steering Committee.
The appointment was made at the Heartland Partnership's request.
The group that is reorganizing the Peoria region's economic development work has agreed to appoint a representative of the Heartland Partnership to serve with it.
Mark Spenny, chairman of the Heartland Partnership's board of directors has been appointed to the Regional Economic Steering Committee, the Partnership announced on Monday.
A news release issued by the Partnership said there is "a strong sense of collaboration among regional partners to move forward" and that any concern that regional economic development providers weren't embracing the initiative is unfounded.
"Partnering organizations and leaders have indeed come together and are dedicated to working as a team to restructure the region's economic development efforts," the release said.
Cal MacKay, interim CEO of the Heartland Partnership appointed after the resignation of Jim McConoughey, said the Partnership asked to be included on the committee to help steer the future of economic development in the region.
"We asked to be put on the committee because we felt it was critical that we have a voice there," MacKay said. "By having a voice there we can then move forward with all the great things the Heartland Partnership has done in the economic development of the region and is still doing."
MacKay said the Steering Committee, headed by Jim Baumgartner of Caterpillar Inc., readily agreed the Heartland Partnership should be part of the process. "Politics being what they are, it didn't happen before now. I don't think there is any question we do need to have better cooperation between the private and public sectors," he said.
Spenny's appointment to the committee will enable the Partnership and its affiliated company, the Economic Development Council for Central Illinois, to accept the Steering Committee's 5 Principal Framework/Priority Recommendations, which followed a study by urban planning expert Frank Knott and his ViTAL Economy Alliance.
The recommendations include reorganizing the Central Illinois EDC governance and staff, merge the roles of some of the other economic development organizations and integrate Workforce Development into the process and launch a new economic development strategy.
MacKay said the Heartland Partnership is looking forward to being more involved with the steering committee and that its staff is dedicated to helping create "a truly regional economic development strategy."
Baumgartner, chairman of the Regional Economic Steering Committee, said the appointment of Spenny to the committee will lead to more collaboration.
"Having Mark Spenny on our committee allows for more dialogue between the entities. The Heartland Partnership is a regional asset when it comes to rallying leaders around big ideas and managing complex regional projects as well as advocating for economic development issues. We need to leverage that regional resource. We are all on the same team and moving in the same direction," Baumgartner said.
Paul Gordon is editor of The Peorian. He can be reached at 692-7880 or editor@thepeorian.com
