Since it was established six years ago, myregion.org has been fortunate to secure and maintain the financial support of a number of Funding Partners throughout Central Florida.  Their early commitment and active participation set the stage for the great work that has been, and continues to be, accomplished across our region.  With little fanfare, additional organizations and the individuals who represent them have quietly added their expertise and financial resources to ensure a better future for our family of communities. 

While a “three-legged stool” of funding and governance for myregion.org has always included business, government and the institutional sectors, more recent participation at the Board of Directors level includes the faith-based community and the non-profit sector that are backing up their involvement with financial contributions. 

Dr. Christian Oleck is the Executive Pastor and CFO of PineCastle United Methodist Church, south of Downtown Orlando.  A relative newcomer to our community, he joined the Orlando Regional Chamber’s Small Business Board of Directors in 2005.  Earlier this year, he was asked to serve as the Small Business Chamber liaison to Regional Growth Visioning, and as a result was also appointed to serve on the myregion.org Board of Directors. 

Dr. Oleck has expressed on numerous occasions how impressed he is with our Chamber and our regional growth efforts.   As a result of his participation with the myregion.org Board, he was  “blown away” as he put it, and even more committed to the  “How Shall We Grow?” campaign and our regional outreach.  Through his initiative, the PineCastle United Methodist Church has since made a significant financial contribution to myregion.org for 2006 and has committed to continue that support in 2007.

Another recent addition to our list of Funding Partners is the consulting firm, Miller Legg.  Celebrating its 40th Anniversary, Miller Legg is one of Florida's largest award-winning multi-disciplined consulting firms. Since 1965, the firm has grown to more than 185 employees located in five offices statewide, including the newest office in St. Lucie County.  Representing Miller Legg on the myregion.org Board of Directors is Kelly S. Eger. 

Miller Legg is headquartered in Pembroke Pines, Broward County, Florida and brings together the elements of engineering, planning, landscape architecture and urban design, surveying, environmental wetlands consulting, environmental risk management and G.I.S. services. Offering its clients a team of seasoned professionals who are leaders in the Florida consulting industry, the firm has been involved with more than 50,000 acres of project design development in Florida with an approach best characterized as a "Partnering Relationship."  We are fortunate that they have decided to partner with myregion.org and have brought their professional expertise to our work.

When Ed Timberlake, President, Central Florida for Bank of America and Vice Chair of Fund Development for myregion.org challenged members of the Board of Directors last year to back up their participation on the Board with a financial contribution “from $50 to $50,000,” they responded.  Those commitments represent a variety of Central Florida organizations including: Mark Brewer, Community Foundation of Central Florida, Inc.; Duane De Freese, Ph.D., Hubbs-Sea World Research Institute; Jesse Douthit, Fantasy of Flight; Eric Gray, American Lung Association; Ray Gilley, Metro Orlando Economic Development Commission; Joel W. Hass, American Red Cross of Central Florida; Margot Knight, United Arts of Central Florida; Carol Laymance, Florida Space Authority. 

This type of representation from a cross-section of the community is paramount to ensure that all voices are heard as we create a vision for the future.  To these Funding Partners and all those who have supported us from the beginning, we say Thank You.

Recent participation in a series of Community Input Sessions across the seven-county region has put a face on those who will be impacted by the regional vision that is being created through the “How Shall We Grow?” Campaign.  Retirees, families, young people, newcomers and life-long residents are being encouraged to join us for the second round of Community Meetings in August and September. 

For details, visit: http://www.myregion.org/HowShallWeGrow/CommunityInputSessions/tabid/94/Default.aspx

“How Shall We Grow? – Creating a Shared Vision for Central Florida” is a fifteen-month process that brings together local, regional and state agencies in a partnership to design our collective future.  The Florida Department of Community Affairs, Florida Department of Transportation, the Central Florida MPO Alliance, East Central Florida Regional Planning Council, Orlando Regional Chamber of Commerce, and myregion.org have combined their professional talents and resources to take this message to the people of our region. 

Those who are interested can stay up-to-date by accessing the project website or joining in the conversation online at www.howshallwegrow.org.

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.