South Bend – Elkhart Regional Partnership Announces Organizational Realignment Strategy to Support Future Growth of the Region.
What is
The South Bend – Elkhart Regional Partnership’s core purpose is to facilitate regional alignment to advance shared economic prosperity across the region. As an organization we move this objective forward under the guiding core values of humility (egoless clarity), inclusive collaboration, and doing what we say we are going to do.
We execute this work through our five committees, formed out of the region’s 2016 “Plan for Prosperity, Growth and Inclusion Version 1.0,” which identified the following strategic drivers as the underlying principles for a comprehensive regional development plan:
I. Educating a world-class workforce
II. Recruiting and retaining great talent
III. Attracting and growing new economy companies in complement to our remarkably strong manufacturing industries
IV. Promoting inclusion and sparking opportunities for minorities
V. Helping entrepreneurs
In 2021, the South Bend - Elkhart Regional Partnership conducted a comprehensive strategic planning process resulting in the current Smart Connected Communities 2030 Plan.
Now, like most companies and organizations, we look ahead to a new horizon: one that can thrive in a post-pandemic world, one that is proactively developing an inclusive and vibrant regional economy, and one that leads the way in innovative solutions for all stakeholders.
We continue to hold true to our North Star goal of matching or exceeding the per capita personal income of the region’s residents to the national average, yet the “how” of getting there is transitioning to be more strategic and effective. Read on to learn more about our operational changes.
What Will Be
Now, having successfully secured over $134,000,000 on behalf of the South Bend – Elkhart region in a span of seven years, we look to expand our operational capacities to meet the demand from our local economic development, industry, and educational partners. Under the guidance of an engaged and active board of directors, the South Bend – Elkhart Regional Partnership is implementing the following operational updates:
I. The organization has established an internal leadership team comprised of the President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Chief Operating Officer (COO), and Chief Strategy Officer (CSO), to ensure execution and continuity on current and future projects and programs.
II. As a part of all strategies, the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, Quality of Life/Quality of Place, and Talent Attraction and Retention pillars will work alongside the CSO to facilitate cross-initiative integration, along with the marketing department.
III. Education and Workforce, Industry Growth, and Entrepreneurship will operate together under the umbrella of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, and Talent Development, led by the newly appointed COO.
IV. New positions will increase the organization’s capacity, including the positions of Vice President, Talent Initiatives; Manager, Digital Content and Public Relations; Manager, Economic Development Initiatives, and Specialist, Community Outreach focused on implementing the WE+YOU regional brand strategies. These positions will begin accepting applicants in late January 2022.
The five committees will continue to advise and activate on the Smart, Connect Communities 2030 Plan. More information about the committees can be found by following their respective links below.
I. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
III. Entrepreneurship
IV. Industry Growth
V. Talent Attraction and Retention
As we move into a new era of the South Bend – Elkhart Regional Partnership, we are confident that our portfolio of programmatic offerings, as well as our core convening services will continue to bring together a region with an upward trajectory, built on a storied legacy of innovation, entrepreneurship, and world-class education and sustained through the shared alliance of invested and engaged thought leaders.
In the next eight years, we have big, audacious, and compelling goals to achieve. We are poised, experienced, and aligned with incredible stakeholders to deliver on our promises to the South Bend – Elkhart region of increasing the numbers of startups built, moving the population net in-migration from negative to positive, increasing the number of post-secondary credentials achieved, increase the number of high wage positions in traded industries, and eliminating the racial wealth divide.
