A refreshed Michigan City Strategic Action Plan plots key points to forge toward continuous economic development and socioeconomic opportunities and innovations.
The Economic Development Corporation Michigan City, Michigan City Mayor Angie Nelson Deuitch and business and community leaders worked closely with the Ascendant Global Consulting team to update the Strategic Plan for a groundwork to pave the way to 2040.
“Our vision is rooted in our city’s history and current path while not shying away from the challenges and issues our community members face,” said EDCMC Executive Director Clarence L. Hulse. “The framework is based on months of interviews, discussions, roundtables, surveys, analysis and connections with a cross-section of our community and businesses – all with an eye toward collaboration and unity.”
“The ideas are aggressive and visionary as any strategic plan needs to be in order to truly trigger the growth we are envisioning,” added Michigan City Mayor Angie Nelson Deuitch. “The city’s leadership team is committed to a long-term productive collaboration as we take on implementing this long-term plan for action.”
The Strategic Action Plan is built on the base created by the Ascendant team that pinpoints five pillars: economic inclusion, workforce development, placemaking, storytelling and economic modernization.
“By having arenas to focus on with outlined steps, we are striving to create workable paths for all of these important goals,” said EDCMC Board President Bill Hackney. “You have to see where you are headed in order to find the ideal way to get there.”
The plan drills down each area into actionable steps that will serve as a guide to move toward measurable and meaningful benchmarks. For example, the economic inclusion section recommendations include tracking data to identify the current disparities, creating programs and training to boost the economic development ecosystem, exposing community members to diverse career paths and ensuring vital services are in place such as childcare and transportation.
“Our Strategic Plan is a living document similar to our Vibrant Michigan City economic inclusion playbook that is a starting point to not only engage with our community and partners, but also to tackle our challenges and track our progress,” Hulse said.
Ascendant Global Consulting Partner and Economic Development Expert Rodrick Miller said having quality strategic planning is key to a real roadmap toward desired changes.
“The most effective strategic plans offer opportunities for a broad swath of residents, have ambitious objectives, hold public and private partners accountable, and are buttressed by a long-term commitment to execution and shared investment,” Miller said. “They raise expectations for what a community can become, spur private investment, and articulate a unique value. The results are prosperity for residents, quality jobs and economic opportunity.
“For community members a strategic plan done well raises confidence in their leaders’ focus on progress, offers hope, provides clarity and articulates a shared future they can support. And of course, it yields real change and opportunity.”