Engaged community partners like Envision Seminole, Brevard Tomorrow, Polk Vision, and Community Vision in Osceola are actively spreading the work of myregion.org and the importance of regional thinking to their constituents.  “How Shall We Grow?” Creating a Shared Vision for Central Florida has gained the support of organizations across Central Florida who understand the importance of planning for the future.

When myregion.org was established nearly six years ago, many members of its leadership team had never even met, and as they built their relationships together and began to take the message of regional development across Central Florida, they often stood alone . . . at county commission meetings, in board rooms, and in public forums.  Today, those same scenarios are much, much different. 

A key element of its program of work early on, myregion.org concentrated on educating and engaging public, private and civic sector leaders on the importance of developing a regional framework for the future.  As community leaders and citizens began to understand its message, myregion.org has become valued for its role in convening stakeholders and crafting a regional agenda for the Central Florida region.

Regional outreach is being enhanced by organizations that support the work of planning for the future.  Many of our partners have already completed similar visioning processes for their particular sectors of Central Florida and value the unique opportunity to develop and advocate a regional vision that encompasses all of Central Florida’s seven counties and the 86 cities that make our region strong.

Brevard Tomorrow is the community initiative tasked with helping to create and implement the strategies and goals necessary to achieve our 'preferred future' in Brevard County.  As a result of its work, the “preferred future” statement for Brevard County is:

Through effective and collaborative public/private relationships, Brevard County is a visionary community with a vibrant economy and unparalleled quality of life. Our values include educational excellence, entrepreneurship, resource conservation, managed growth, cultural diversity, and space heritage that frames and sustains who we are today and into the future.

An open and inclusive community, Brevard County values all of its citizens and welcomes newcomers and businesses alike. 

For more, visit http://www.leadershipbrevard.org/home/pages/BrevardTomorrow.cfm

Envision Seminole’s mission is to engage our community stakeholders as equal voices in dialogue, consensus and action . . . resulting in leadership development and community improvement in Seminole County, Florida.

It has created and maintains a process where community leaders from all perspectives in Seminole County can come together in a spirit of equality, trust & collaboration. We identify needs, then create & deliver community-wide initiatives that will improve the quality of life in Seminole County and develop innovative partnerships to capitalize on opportunities & challenges.

For more, visit http://www.envisionseminole.com

Polk Vision was formed in 2003 to bring residents together with government and community leaders to examine and address the issues we face in Polk County.  Its guiding principle is to create a Polk County sense of community that fosters pride in our county, emphasizes our sense of place, celebrates our heritage, and recognizes and includes our many physical assets and diverse cultures.

For additional information, visit http://polkvision.com

Community Vision, in Osceola County, was established in 1995 to bring people and resources together to achieve the community's vision.

To succeed in its mission, Community Vision strives to identify the role of every individual and organization in achieving the vision. Dialogue is facilitated related to key issues; positive projects, programs and collaborative activities are generated. The public and leadership are now uniquely engaged in moving together toward shared community goals and objectives accomplished, for the most part, through the implementation of citizen-crafted strategic action plans.

To learn more, visit http://communityvision.org/index.htm

By communicating information regarding myregion.org and the Central Florida Regional Growth Vision to their members and constituents, these grassroots organizations across the region have made a positive statement about their commitment and belief in the development of Central Florida’s future.  Together, we are stronger, and together, we can ensure that the growth of our region will be guided by the principles and values that have made Central Florida a great place to live, work, play and grow. 

Additionally, media partners like WESH TV and the government television stations for each of the counties are helping to extend our reach to residents and community leaders through their websites and public service announcements (PSA).  Take a look at one example:

http://www.wesh.com/community/9190485/detail.html

Significant print coverage of the community meetings has also appeared in a number of news outlets across the seven county region.

myregion.org - A Regional Development Program - is designed to bring together the business, government and civic leadership representing the seven-county Central Florida region to develop a regional agenda for thought and action to ensure Central Florida's success in the 21st century global marketplace.

For a schedule of community meetings or more information on how to get involved, visit: www.myregion.org.