| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
November 21, 2011 Regional Leaders Sign on the Dotted Line
Leaders formally commit to culture of collaboration at Regional Partnership Annual Meeting 
Fort Wayne, IN -- Over 100 people attended the Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership's 2011 Annual Meeting yesterday afternoon, November 21, 2011. The audience represented economic development partners from 10 counties in Northeast Indiana as well as business, education, government and foundation leaders. The meeting concluded with a strong demonstration of regional collaboration as executives from all 10 local economic development organizations (LEDO Council) in the region signed a Code of Ethics.
The idea for the development of the Code came from a Leadership Experience trip to Denver, Colorado, earlier this fall organized by the Regional Partnership and Leadership Fort Wayne. The 36 leaders from Northeast Indiana who participated on the trip witnessed a powerful collaborative culture in Denver centered on a Code of Ethics that the Denver Metro region adopted over 20 years ago. The LEDO Council has worked over the past several months developing consensus around adopting a similar code for Northeast Indiana. The Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership, the Regional Chamber of Northeast Indiana and the Northeast Indiana Regional Workforce Investment Board also signed the Code. "The Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership Code of Ethics represents the commitment of all Partners to uphold the highest level of integrity during competition for economic development projects in the ultra-competitive global economy. Indeed, this document confirms our unwavering ethical commitment to one another and reflects the collaborative spirit that has resulted in our region emerging as a national leader in new private sector capital investment, jobs creation and employment retention," stated Mike Row, executive director of the Wells County EDC. To demonstrate the success of collaborative leadership efforts like this, John Sampson, President & CEO of the Regional Partnership, shared news during the annual meeting of the exciting progress Northeast Indiana has made over the past six months. Of note, the growth in total Gross Domestic Product in the Fort Wayne metropolitan area (Allen, Wells and Whitley counties) between 2009 and 2010 rose by more than twice the rate for all metropolitan areas across the nation. In October, The Fiscal Times announced that the Fort Wayne metro area rate of job growth over the past year was the highest among the largest 100 metropolitan areas in the United States. "Northeast Indiana is at the front of the pack emerging from this recession and these results should be celebrated by the residents of Northeast Indiana," said Sampson. "The unprecedented collaboration of people and organizations across the region is delivering the results we are targeting." The Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership was formed in 2006 to help build a globally competitive economy in Northeast Indiana. It is a public-private partnership focused on generating business leads and building regional capacity through product development and effective regional collaboration. In 2010, the Partnership launched Vision 2020 to bring the region together around five key areas for economic growth: 21st Century Talent, Competitive Business Climate, Entrepreneurship, Infrastructure and Quality of Life. Through its combined efforts in business development and capacity building, the Partnership supports its 10 member counties: Adams, Allen, DeKalb, Huntington, LaGrange, Noble, Steuben, Wabash, Wells and Whitley counties. For more information, visit www.NEIndiana.com. To view a copy of the Code of Ethics signed today, click here. # # # MEDIA CONTACT:
Courtney Tritch
Communications Manager
Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership
260.469.3460
courtney@NEIndiana.com |