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WAREHOUSE OF IDEAS

Q2030 REGIONAL ACTION PLAN

QUAD CITIES, IL-IA

Submitted by Market Street Services, Inc.

www.Q2030.org

Q2030 Warehouse of Ideas

Page 1 – December 2015

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction ............................................................................................................................................................................................... 2

Warehouse of Ideas ................................................................................................................................................................................ 3

1. Cool Places ........................................................................................................................................................................... 3

2. Creative People ............................................................................................................................................................... 11

3. Connected Region ......................................................................................................................................................... 20

4. Prosperous Economy .................................................................................................................................................... 27

Appendix: Best Practices .................................................................................................................................................................... 42



INTRODUCTION Implementation of comprehensive regional strategic plans can sometimes be “messy.” With so many moving parts, dozens of local and regional stakeholder groups, hundreds of volunteers, and multiple programs and initiatives, adjusting actions on the fly is occasionally necessary. This reality acknowledges the most critical factor influencing strategic implementation: Communities are always changing and strategic visioning needs to change with them. This is not to say that the roadmap established for the Q2030 Regional Action Plan will be invalidated in the coming five-year implementation period. In fact, the breadth and depth of research and feedback from thousands of Quad Citizens ensures that the pillars and strategic framework of the vision reflect the priority focus areas and ambitions of the region for the near-term future. What might evolve are the tactical action steps that drive attainment of the pillars and strategies.

Opportunities and challenges identified through the months of planning for the Q2030 Regional Action Plan have led to programmatic and operational recommendations – found in this Warehouse of Ideas – that will most effectively move the bar on attainment of strategic priorities. These recommendations were designed to serve as a menu of potential activities supporting Quad Cities stakeholders in the achievement of tactical goals. As teams of regional partners come together to activate the pillars and strategies of the Q2030 Regional Action Plan, they will draw from this warehouse to inform action planning around their tactical focus areas. As communities are constantly evolving, so too will the ideas warehouse. Some actions will be “taken from the shelf” and advanced while others will be idled as strategic practitioners and volunteers assess the highest value programs and initiatives for implementation. Because regional strategies are “living” documents, the warehouse of ideas will be regularly “restocked” as Q2030 coordinators and partners assess past efforts and determine future needs, challenges, and opportunities. Market Street recommends that this assessment process occurs at least once per year, typically at the end of an annual implementation cycle.

Some of the recommendations in the Warehouse are informed by the inclusion of best practice programs and efforts included in an Appendix to this report. These are intended to provide perspective on potential Quad Cities activities based on the experiences of other high-achieving communities.

The Warehouse of Ideas is structured consistent with the framework of the Q2030 Regional Action Plan. The single-digit categories refer to the Q2030 Plan’s pillars, two-digit categories to strategies, and three-digit headings to tactics. Potential action steps listed in this Warehouse are also referenced in the Q2030 Regional Action Plan itself as options for tactical implementation.



WAREHOUSE OF IDEAS

1. COOL PLACES

Action Step Best Practice Idea Comment

1.1 MISSISSIPPI RIVER

1.1.1 Fulfill the vision of the Mississippi River as a transformative Quad Cities amenity

Confirm and refresh the recommendations in the River Vision plan

The River Vision plan – a partnership between Rock Island and Davenport – is now over 11 years old. While certain of its recommendations have been implemented, others have not, and momentum for advancement of the plan varies among participating governments. In order to ensure its viability, the entire River Vision plan should be revisited and refreshed to reflect new challenges and opportunities. Davenport announced a River Vision update in 2013, but it would most benefit the process for Rock Island to also be engaged in a full reimagining of the plan.

Effectively implement River Vision

The experiences of the last 11 years should provide good perspective for Rock Island, Davenport, and key partners as to the process, priorities, and pitfalls of implementing River Vision. This experience should inform a new Operational Plan to formalize the implementation of a refreshed River Vision.

Ensure that Mississippi River visioning plans throughout the region’s corridor strive for connectivity and holistic integration as much as possible

While the Mississippi flows through all of the principal Quad Cities, the vision for its enhancement as a quality of life and economic catalyst has been developed by only two of the region’s major cities. Meanwhile, Moline has embarked on a River Vision 2020 process to seek the best ways to utilize the Mississippi to benefit the city. As current and potential future visioning takes place around Mississippi River development, aesthetic, and utilization visions, it would benefit the region to have the greatest consistency possible between these initiatives. This acknowledges the reality that implementation will be most effective if the River is seen as a system as opposed to disaggregated segments.

1.1.2 Create an iconic world-class destination on the Mississippi River

Develop a signature multi-purpose destination on the Mississippi

The potential selection of the Quad Cities as a debarkation point for Viking’s Mississippi River cruises provides the opportunity to consider development of a major destination development along the riverfront. This project could have multiple uses, enlist the services of a visionary architect to design a world-class icon for the Quad Cities, and become a driver of regional pride and worldwide attention.

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Regardless of its location, this will be a regional initiative and should be driven by top public and private leaders from across the Quad Cities. Empaneling a Leadership Committee to steer the process would likely be a worthwhile first step to launch the initiative. Quad Citizens will also feel a stronger sense of ownership and pride in a destination riverfront development if they are engaged in its planning process. They might also be more willing to consider a public-funding component for the project. A series of planning charrettes, meetings, local engagement opportunities, and media reportage and profiles could ensure that the initiative remains in the public eye and benefits from the perspective of local stakeholders and constituency groups.

1.1.3 Support the environmental sustainability of the Upper Mississippi ecosystem

Incorporate priorities of local partners into policy agendas and advocacy efforts

A host of local and regional entities, including River Action, Quad Cities Waterkeeper, the Soil and Water Conservation Corps, the Bi-State Regional Commission’s Quad City Riverfront Council, and others strive to ensure that the Upper Mississippi’s ecosystem and role as a “working” river are preserved and enhanced. Outreach to these partners to identify their concerns, issues, and initiatives and incorporate them into business community and governmental policy priorities at all levels, could be an effective means to ensure the Upper Mississippi continues to be a thriving waterway and ecosystem.

Support the annual Upper Mississippi River Conference and the potential integration of a “Raise the Grade” discussion

The advocacy group River Action currently holds an annual Upper Mississippi River Conference in the Quad Cities each fall to highlight issues, opportunities, and actions related to the Upper Mississippi and its watershed. To complement this Conference, river environmental and economic interests are discussing having a “Raise the Grade” Conference in the Quad Cities in September 2016 that would be integrated into the annual Upper Mississippi River gathering. Raise the Grade would be tied to an America’s Watershed Initiative (AWI) Report Card revealing the current status of the larger (31-state) Mississippi River basin in several sectors/areas. Quad Cities mayors have been involved in the AWI Report Card development through the Mississippi River Cities & Towns Initiative, joining River Action, the River Conference, and associated Quad Cities interests and stakeholders in this endeavor. The Raising the Grade discussion would speak to raising the Mississippi’s grades for all AWI Report Card sectors and enlisting the larger Quad Cities region behind the effort. An “Economy” would be focused on what and where are the current Mississippi River economic impacts and benefits, where are the unrealized economic opportunities, and how could they be accomplished.




1.2 CULTURAL AMENITIES

1.2.1 Bring regional partners together behind a consensus, collaborative vision to enhance arts and culture in the Quad Cities

Produce an arts and culture master plan that correlates value and investment

The benefit of assessing arts and cultural capacity regionally is to both capture existing assets and also determine what could be enhanced or added. A Cultural Master Plan need not eliminate or be prescriptive over the programs of existing entities. In fact, in many communities the development of a cohesive plan to grow and sustain the regional arts community has boosted capacity for its members as opposed to reduced programs or personnel. By collaborating, Quad Cities arts and cultural entities can determine the most appropriate home and funding opportunities for new and expanded activities and/or facilities. Partners like Quad City Arts, Quad City Cultural Trust, River Music Experience (RME), the Figge, the Putnam, and others would guide and inform this process. A Master Plan could also establish priorities that could potentially be resourced by a new regional arts funding mechanism (see below).

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Regionalize funding to ensure access and sustainability for arts and culture

Tools exist (for example, 28E agreements in Iowa) to assess a levy to multiple jurisdictions to capitalize a fund for specific purposes like the arts. A number of regions (even bi-state models like Kansas City) have implemented regional tools to increase the funding capacity for local arts entities and individuals. The potential awarding of regional arts and culture grants could, along with the resources of the business community and Quad Cities Cultural Trust, be used to compel the development of a sustainability plan for leading arts and cultural organizations that helps them improve systems to become more efficient and best align with the Q2030 Regional Action Plan.

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1.2.2 Make the Quad Cities an artistic hotbed of the “maker” movement

Support and enhance existing Quad Cities “maker” spaces and develop new capacity when possible

So-called “maker” spaces have already sprung up in various locations across the Quad Cities. Examples include the QC Co-Lab, Putnam Museum, Rock Island Arsenal Joint Manufacturing and Technology Center, Hamilton Technical College, and others. While spaces exist, with more likely to be created, there will still be the need to equip them with new technologies, promote them, support makers who want to sell art or start businesses, and subsidize entry and usage for individuals who cannot currently afford to participate. These could all be potential avenues of support from local and regional partners.

Launch an Industrial Arts program at a local institution and/or facility

Providing training capacity, expertise, facilities, exhibition space and programs, and other support could help local industrial artists and those with an interest develop the skills and acumen to become self-supporting artists or more successful with their part-time businesses. There are also opportunities to host annual industrial arts meetings and conferences to promote the Quad Cities as an industrial arts destination and hub.

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1.2.3 Enhance the voice and impact of the regional music sector Better leverage the River Music Experience as a convener, uniter, promoter, and developer of the Quad Cities music economy

The RME provides tremendous physical and staffing capacity in support of the Quad Cities’ music scene. Its sole focus on roots music, however, might limit its ability to nurture the full breadth of the regional music sector. RME should strive to slowly but surely incorporate more genres under its umbrella, at least in terms of promotion and support. Through this activity, RME could potentially serve a more comprehensive role in the Quad Cities’ music scene and present a “unified voice” to the local and outside worlds.

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Charge RME with facilitating and developing a Regional Music Strategy for the Quad Cities

By broadening its focus, the RME could serve as the vehicle for working with local performers, venue owners, promoters, etc., to design a blueprint for positioning the Quad Cities as a more visible touring destination, incubator of successful bands, and developer of local talent for music careers in performance, recording technologies, management, distribution, etc.

1.3 DOWNTOWNS

1.3.1 Ensure the continued success of residential, retail, and commercial development in Quad Cities downtowns Regularly conduct citizens’ surveys of Quad Cities downtowns

The perspectives of downtown “customers” are critical to the districts’ success. By soliciting stakeholder attitudes on districts’ aesthetics, perceptions of safety, accessibility, retail preferences, and other issues, planning, management, and promotion can be better informed.

Encourage downtown and city officials to assess and optimize downtown development tools

With so many potential means to encourage downtown development, it is useful to assess existing tools to determine whether all available statutory local and state incentive districts and programs are being utilized and/or promoted. The development community and downtown property owners know the terrain well and can help inform the analysis. There is also the opportunity for more formalized information and best-practices sharing among Quad Cities downtown development entities.

Put into place efforts that frame Quad Cities downtowns as places of choice for employers

In the continuing attempts to create “live, work, play” environments in downtown districts, the “work” aspect can often get lost in the shuffle. This is principally because financing is often easier to secure for residential, retail, and entertainment projects in revitalizing downtowns than to advance the districts as employment centers. Also because companies tend to locate where land and rents are more cost competitive. By emphasizing the need for and potential of Quad Cities’ downtowns to enhance their competitiveness for employers, local leaders can ensure that markets for residential units continue to be robust by providing employment opportunities within walking distance of new and renovated housing.

Assess the need to implement safeguards to prevent resident displacement

Downtown development and new investment should not come at the expense of existing residents. There are a number of available tools to ensure that lower-income residents are not priced out of a revitalization downtown. These should be considered in the Quad Cities downtowns.




1.3.2 Cultivate distinctive downtowns to support collective regional goals Create an Event Committee populated by Quad Cities’ downtown officials and programmers

Multiple input commenters noted that there is no need to replicate successful events in every Quad Cities downtown. An Event Committee would ensure that downtowns can leverage each other’s events and coordinate programming to reduce redundancy and maximize attendance. Opportunities for jointly-sponsored events could also be pursued.

Launch a unified website for Quad Cities downtowns to complement individual sites

A unified “QCDowntowns.com” site could link to/from existing sites, aggregate all downtown attractions, programs and events in one online location, and better communicate the true breadth of regional downtown activity, especially for potential visitors and meeting brokers.

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Develop a joint strategy to market downtowns to local college and university students

Existing partnerships and joint promotions have been developed between schools and downtown entities. A more regional approach could improve efficiency for schools and connect student-focused opportunities more strategically to all Quad Cities downtowns.

1.4 NEIGHBORHOODS 1.4.1 Foster pride in the Quad Cities by prioritizing neighborhood revitalization to create healthy communities with resident appeal and commercial growth

Brand neighborhoods by “naming” them through identity and branding programs – creating pride and engagement

While a handful of neighborhoods like the McClellan Heights Historic District in Davenport are already well branded, the majority of Quad Cities districts lack a neighborhood identity and branding platform. Though support exists to help neighborhoods come together for planning purposes (which may include identity development), they are not widely utilized. Quad Cities governments should be encouraged and supported to develop programs to outreach to neighborhoods and work with them to discuss and define identities and logos, create neighborhood associations, build and maintain neighborhood websites, and – ultimately – create distinctive neighborhood gateways and street-sign toppers.

Develop outreach programs to improve awareness of existing home financing and improvement tools

The availability of programs and monies to support home-buying and improvement is not proportional to its use. This is not a situation unique to the Quad Cities, but nevertheless could be improved through better outreach and communication with potential users and their networks. Each Quad City can – based on interest and capacity to support – design and implement a program to communicate with renters and homeowners about available options for purchasing, improving, or expanding local homes. This would likely entail development and placement of informational materials at libraries, community centers, places of worship, health and employment offices, and other venues. If not already positioned in this role, one or more city staff could be designated as Housing Liaisons to meet and work directly with customers on accessing and utilizing financing tools.




Create new home and façade improvement loans and incentives

While multiple programs exist in the Quad Cities to help home, business, and commercial property owners improve their structures, it should not be assumed that all potentially viable and effective tools are currently being offered. Local officials and practitioners noted that the opportunity exists to create and issue more robust façade improvement grants – potentially through a local match similar to prescriptions in SSMID districts – or through the creation of new “hybrid” partnerships between governments, businesses, non-profits, and local offices of state and national community finance organizations.

Plan and promote neighborhood events

Gatherings like neighborhood block parties and other events are effective ways to make connections among neighbors, build relationships, and create a pride of ownership. Officials should provide support as needed to assist local Quad Cities neighborhoods with planning and hosting block parties, National Night Out walks, trash clean-up days, arts and food festivals, and other events. Consideration should be given to creating a website featuring Quad Cities neighborhoods, linking to neighborhood URLs and calendars, and providing information on how each Quad City can support neighborhood event planning and promotion.

1.5 SIGNATURE EVENTS

1.5.1 Support and celebrate existing local and regional events

Effectively promote and enhance existing events

With so many local activities competing for residents’ attention, time, and money, it is easy for events – especially smaller ones – to get lost in the shuffle. The Major Festivals and Special Events Calendar on the VisitQuadCities.com website aggregates and promotes all local events. Government and non-profit entities should also ensure that all available communications channels, networks, and media are leveraged for the effective promotion of existing events. This may include working with regional and external (i.e., University of Iowa, etc.) colleges and universities to market Quad Cities festivals and events to students and staff.

Both public and private event programmers have protocols in place to assess attendee experiences and the overall success of signature events in order to optimize future efforts. All necessary support should be provided to connect programmers with attendees through corporate and non-profit email distribution networks, promotion of follow-up survey links, and other tools to provide feedback to inform future planning.

1.5.2 Create a major new off-season event in the Quad Cities

Plan and hold a winter festival as a new signature Quad Cities event

A recurring theme in Q2030 public input was the lull in Quad Cities events and festivals in the winter months after such a packed calendar at other times of the year. Respondents said that the launch of a new winter event would be a welcome addition to the often dreary winter season and mimic hugely popular events in cold-weather communities like St. Paul, MN and Madison, WI.

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Participation should be solicited from top public, private, and non-profit event planners to assess opportunities for developing a signature winter event in the Quad Cities. Based on the Committee’s discussions and decision-making, formalize a plan to fund, program, and host the winter event. Solicit contributions to promote the event regionally as well as to communities across the Midwest. Ensure the event is sustainable before identifying opportunities for another major winter event.

1.6 RECREATION

1.6.1 Provide and maintain the best collection of recreation amenities in the Midwestern U.S.

Support the maintenance and enhancement of existing infrastructure

All the principal Quad Cities and their home counties have capacity to plan, develop, and manage parks and recreation facilities/programs and pedestrian and bike trails. Likewise, city, county, and regional entities plan and support facilities along the Mississippi River and other waterways. Master plans related to these program areas are being implemented to develop the capacity determined to be necessary to maximize the benefit to local taxpayers. Resources are being invested or identified to support current plans and future priorities. Governments should be provided the support to effectively manage and maintain existing facilities and plan for future enhancements and new developments.

Develop and resource new recreation-focused plans and projects when feasible

As noted, Quad Cities governments regularly plan to address needs and opportunities related to recreation infrastructure. However, this planning is often conducted in the context of what’s feasible, not optimal. Municipal budgets are almost always tight, with little room to fund aspirational projects in any department. These realities should not limit the Quad Cities’ ambition to have a world-class array of recreation amenities. As opportunities arise to leverage private or philanthropic resources or new sources of public revenue to create new recreation spaces and systems, public and private stakeholders across multiple communities should be challenged to discuss and determine what projects could be most aspirational or transformational for individual cities and the region as a whole.

1.6.2 Increase the awareness and usage of local and regional facilities

Develop a regional parks website

Consider reserving a domain like QuadCitiesParks.com or another address to serve as a one-stop shop for locals or visitors looking to enjoy the full array of regional recreation opportunities. The site will link back to individual city and county parks sites but also aggregate a calendar of events and programs occurring at all Quad Cities parks. The regional parks site could be promoted through multiple local and regional channels.




Program jointly sponsored events at local recreation facilities

Individual Quad Cities could be encouraged to partner on the development, funding, and hosting of events at local parks and other recreation facilities. These could be jointly sponsored, branded, programmed, and promoted events ranging from races to non-profit fundraisers to concerts, children’s shows, yoga sessions, and everything in between. There could also be regional programs fostered by partnerships among all Quad Cities. The pool of potential attendees would be expanded through joint promotion in addition to the goodwill fostered by inter-city partnerships.

1.7 NON-TRADITIONAL FORUMS

1.7.1 Provide opportunities for different Quad Cities constituencies to have their voices heard and pursue collective avenues to affect change

Establish and leverage community-driven, non-profit media

The lack of an established or widely known space or media outlet for the creation and discussion of non-mainstream content or alternative perspectives was mentioned by a number of regional leaders – especially young professionals – as a weakness of the Quad Cities. They cited the presence of one or more alternative media outlets in most other major markets as a talent amenity for those regions. By developing or collaborating with a current media outlet(s), the full diversity of Quad Cities stakeholder groups will be provided with the opportunity to communicate, discuss, and promote alternative viewpoints and activities. Two existing media stations that could help lead or inform these efforts are WVIK, the Quad Cities National Public Radio (NPR) affiliate at 90.3 FM and KALA, St. Ambrose University’s broadcast station at 88.5 FM.

Leverage or create a physical community gathering space for meetings, events, arts, lectures, classes, and other activities

Often, just providing a welcoming place for people with non-traditional perspectives, viewpoints, or experiences unique to their race, class, or culture can lead to collisions of ideas and foster collective action. An existing facility could serve to bring together constituency groups to experience and produce art, gain knowledge, exchange ideas, and build relationships There are many model facilities across the country to explore for replication in the Quad Cities.

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2. CREATIVE PEOPLE


2.1 CRADLE THROUGH CAREER DEVELOPMENT

2.1.1 Optimize school readiness for Quad Cities’ pre-school population ensuring that all children have access to quality, affordable early childhood education programs

Pursue the Born Learning Initiative

The United Way of the Quad Cities Area’s Women’s Leadership Council has launched a comprehensive effort to ensure all local children are ready to succeed in kindergarten by engaging parents in multiple ways to assist them with best supporting their children’s early learning and pre-literacy. Incorporating the Born Learning Initiative under the Quad Cities Area Education Council’s cradle-to-career framework will ensure that the effort benefits from the full complement of educational support infrastructure.

Continue advancing Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library program in the Quad Cities

All children from birth to age five who live in Rock Island or Scott Counties are eligible to have age-appropriate books mailed to their homes each month at no cost to the family. This program – part of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library initiative – is a useful tool to foster early childhood literacy. Suggested activities corresponding to specific books help parents utilize the free volumes to support their children’s literacy development. It should be determined if additional Quad Cities counties have the resources or interest in entering the Imagination Library program.

Effectively leverage the Quad Cities Kindergarten Skills Inventory

The Inventory program was launched to support school readiness by determining the number of children entering kindergarten with the skills needed to succeed. The process will also help identify and address skills regional kindergartners are lacking as they begin their lives in formal education.

Enhance regional preschool capacity and utilization

State-subsidized preschool is available in both Scott and Rock Island Counties. However, only about 50 percent of eligible children are enrolled. To help address this issue, funding is given to local preschool providers to facilitate the creation of new preschool slots for families who may fall slightly above income-eligibility limits. Ultimately, universal free pre-kindergarten programming for all Quad Cities counties should be a goal of regional leaders. This would entail significant lobbying at the state level in Iowa and Illinois to provide requisite funding, plus private and/or philanthropic contributions.

2.1.2 Ensure that regional students will meet or exceed established performance metrics throughout elementary school

Advance efforts to eliminate the local achievement gap in third grade reading levels

Pursue the research findings and strategies developed out of the Task Force empaneled to address this issue. It will be important that this work both leverages and informs early childhood literacy efforts referenced in the 2.1.1 action steps. Reading levels will also be improved through promotion and enhancement of the Iowa Reading Corps volunteer program in the Quad Cities.




Implement elementary school attendance initiatives

Continue the partnership with Attendance Works to implement initiatives at seven local elementary schools to reduce the number of chronic absentees during the school year. Consistently seek additional resources to expand the initiative to additional regional schools experiencing high rates of absenteeism.

Continue expanding the Quad Cities’ Summer Enrichment Program

Principally focused on low-income students and their families, the Program is a service model that places trained local educators at summer camps and other venues where they seek to incorporate reading or math instruction into summer activities. Based on success achieved to date, the Program is looking to increase capacity to enable additional faculty to participate. In Summer 2014, educators were placed at eight local sites where they supported over 450 low-income students.

2.1.3 Position all regional students to graduate high school interested and prepared for college and careers

Continue positioning the Quad Cities Lumina Community Partnership for Attainment as the framework for degree-attainment efforts

The recent grant the Quad Cities received from the Lumina Foundation to form partnerships to increase college certificate and degree attainment is a major coup for the region. Although the Partnership is a framework rather than a strategy, it must continue to serve as the strategic linkage between multiple efforts, many of which are listed as Action Steps in this vision plan. Other K-12 programs in Quad Cities public schools that support student advancement towards a degree, including The Leader in Me, Iowa Jobs for America’s Graduates, and AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) should also be effectively implemented. Any new degree-attainment initiatives must be vetted by and integrated under the Lumina Partnership.

The Education Council will utilize the Lumina Partnership as guidance for its high school graduation and post-secondary attainment focus areas. (Note: this Action Step also has applications to Tactic 2.1.4.)

Fully leverage Quad Cities Career Connection

This existing initiative contains many programmatic components with applications to the engagement of secondary school students in workplaces and careers. These include classroom presentations, worksite tours, job shadowing, student internships, and additional student and teacher opportunities. Effective promotion and utilization of the Connection is key to degree-attainment and job-placement efforts.

The Rock Island Arsenal Joint Manufacturing and Technology Center also offers machinist apprenticeships and other training programs for qualified applicants.

Capitalize on state apprenticeship programs

Many Quad Cities companies are already taking advantage of the 2014 Iowa Apprenticeship Act designed to increase the number of registered apprentices in Iowa by assisting eligible apprenticeship programs in the form of training grants.

While no similar program exists in Illinois, it would be worthwhile for Quad Cities leaders to approach state officials about developing and funding an initiative geared towards placing apprentices in eligible Illinois companies.




Provide profession-based learning to regional students in partnership with Quad Cities companies

Individual school districts or partnerships among districts are launching career-focused, profession-based learning programs for high school students to gain on-the-job experience in a real-world working environment. Waukee Public Schools in Greater Des Moines will soon launch a CAPS (Center for Advanced Professional Studies) program based on the successful model in North Kansas City. Minnetonka, MN and Topeka, KS are also implementing CAPS programs. BP9

CAPS actively engages the business community in curriculum design, as faculty, and even by hosting classes on-site at companies. While most programs are launched in single districts, the goal of many is to provide CAPS as a future option to all regional students.

Develop local and regional STEAM initiatives

Most quality future jobs in any field will require proficiency in so-called STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) skills. As such, targeted teaching of these skills is becoming commonplace in many school districts. Some are adding the arts to their programs by branding the efforts as STEAM training.

BP10 In the Quad Cities, a joint initiative between Bettendorf and Pleasant Valley high schools will develop a computer science academy incorporating many concepts of STEM education. Still other U.S. districts create stand-alone campuses branded as STEM or STEAM academies. STEAM-based efforts should be pursued by all Quad Cities K-12 districts. The development of a regional academy with enrollment eligibility across multiple districts could also be a way to provide STEAM training to a broader group of regional students.

Launch a Code Quad Cities program

Software engineering has emerged as one of the most in-demand and highest-paying fields in the economy, but is experiencing crippling talent shortages. As such, many communities are developing multiple programs to teach students and adults how to write computer code.

BP11 Code Quad Cities would enhance local workforce capacity and competitiveness through the creation of intensive, short-term, mentor-driven training in advanced coding skills to prepare participants for work in the field of computer programming.

Consider developing a Reach Out to Dropouts Program in the Quad Cities

This popular program found in many communities nationwide utilizes volunteers to canvass local neighborhoods to go door to door speaking with families whose children have dropped out of school. BP12

Continue capitalizing on the annual College Changes Everything conferences

A program of the Illinois Student Assistance Commission, the fifth annual College Changes Everything conference was held in 2015. The event focuses on showcasing best practices and resources to help increase college access and completion. The conference brings together diverse audiences and constituency groups from across the state.

Quad Cities attendees from Illinois should strive to annually share their experiences and takeaways from the Conference with their Iowa colleagues.




Assist families with the completion of FAFSA student aid forms

There are many different ways to provide support and assistance to families who are filling out student aid forms. These can be informal, but more established and structured assistance typically works best. One example is to host “financial aid” days in which business community volunteers work with families to fill out FAFSA forms. Promotion of these events is also key.

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Create a scholarship program for high school students remaining in the Quad Cities for college

When the Kalamazoo Promise program debuted in Kalamazoo, Michigan, seeded by private-sector grants, its ensuing success in keeping local high school students in the region became widely known. “Promise” scholarship programs were created across the country as tools to retain local high school students through matriculation to area colleges and universities.

BP14 Quad Cities leaders have indicated a strong desire to launch a similar “promise” program in the region. A fully capitalized scholarship fund would pay the full tuition of eligible regional public high school graduates remaining in the Quad Cities for college. The program should also consider maintaining annual tuition payments (part or full funding) to students who sustain pre-determined levels of performance.

2.1.4 Support and retain local talent and increase degree-attainment through effective higher education, training, and job-placement programs

Continue to actively promote and leverage InternQC

InternQC is a summer-long program tailored to out-of-region college juniors, seniors, and post-baccalaureate students that showcases the quality of life and career opportunities in the Quad Cities to visiting summer interns. In addition to internships, programming includes networking events, lunch and learn sessions, exposure to arts, culture, and entertainment offerings, and volunteership opportunities.

Form a Quad Cities Jobs Promise collaboration effort

This program would leverage and build off of the proposed scholarship funding initiative in Tactic 2.1.3. Career Promise would take this effort a step further by preparing local college and university graduates to launch successful careers in the Quad Cities. The program would be a collaborative between colleges and universities, business and industry, nonprofit agencies, and community groups.

As initially conceived, the multi-plank effort would offer Career Readiness Certificates to students who meet various performance and activity criteria and also implement other programs to connect students with companies through internships and other arrangements. The end goal would be for all students participating in the program to graduate with a good job in the Quad Cities.




Establish a branded online home page for engagement of existing and potential Quad Cities talent

Communities benefit from having a visible “front door” for existing and potential talent to learn about the area and plug into local networks. This entry point would be manifest through the creation of a web portal to serve as an interactive tool for providing information on job, internship, and networking opportunities, volunteership, local amenities and attractions, and general questions on the Quad Cities as a place to live and work. It will be maintained by local volunteers and provide opportunities for Quad Cities boosters to actively “sell” talent prospects on the community.

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2.1.5 Dramatically increase the number of residents with post-secondary certifications and degrees by successfully accommodating Quad Cities adults interested in entering or re-entering the workforce, upskilling in their existing jobs, or changing careers

Develop a Graduate! Quad Cities initiative

Under the auspices of the Lumina Partnership framework, the Quad Cities could pursue application of the Graduate! model pioneered in Philadelphia to increase the number of adults completing college by engaging business, higher education, government, organized labor, workforce and economic development, community-building organizations, social service providers, and college graduates to align existing resources, remove barriers, and create new pathways for adults to complete a college degree.

BP16 The Graduate! effort could leverage and be informed by previous Quad Cities programs like Black Hawk College’s Shifting Gears initiative that provided support to students and adults interesting in making postsecondary career transitions. Attention in that program was focused on utilizing contextualized GED training and English as a Second Language (ESL) instruction to transition participants to certificate programs for high-value careers.

Establish a LaunchCode program in the Quad Cities

LaunchCode is a non-profit entity that began in St. Louis and has since expanded to Kansas City. The program places job seekers from non-traditional educational backgrounds in paid apprenticeships in technology jobs. LaunchCode partners with companies to set up specialized on-ramps into apprenticeships and jobs that bypass the traditional need for credentials.

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Regional leaders should approach LaunchCode about establishing a program in the Quad Cities.

2.2 WELCOMING AND INCLUSIVE

2.2.1 Accept and celebrate new migrants to the Quad Cities from all points of origin

Effectively support the needs of recent and established immigrants

Many communities, especially slow-growing regions in the Midwest and northeast, have developed and implemented programs to advance regional prosperity through attracting, supporting, and networking immigrant residents. These programs recognize what data has proven: international migrants are more likely to start new companies and make net-positive contributions to regional economic and workforce development capacity.

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The Quad Cities has existing capacity in support of these goals in the form of the Quad Cities Alliance for Immigrants and Refugees (QCAIR) based in Rock Island. QCAIR is a membership-based organization that held the first meeting of its Board of Delegates in 2012 with 29 member organizations representing five communities in Illinois and Iowa. The mission of QCAIR is to build community among refugees, immigrants, and citizens of the Quad Cities. With the constant flow of new immigrants to the Quad Cities and the strong base of established first-generation international residents, the needs to support this community are great. Resources will always be required to ensure that services meet demand.

Provide programming welcoming new residents to the Quad Cities

Even if new arrivals to a community are interested in building networks of relationships, it is often difficult to know where to begin the process or what the entry points are for local organizations, associations, and interest groups.

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Formalizing efforts to reach out to new arrivals, welcome them to the Quad Cities, and introduce them to existing residents, local offerings, amenities, services, and establishments would be a positive way to demonstrate that the region is a welcoming community. This could be accomplished by maintaining contacts with representatives of businesses, houses of worship, schools, and other entities that are aware of new Quad Cities in-migrants and leveraging these relationships to extend invitations to a “Welcome to the QC” event for new arrivals. A “Welcome to the QC” website could provide additional information on getting involved in the region and identifying things of interest to new transplants.

2.2.2 Incorporate principles and practices of inclusion into the community fabric of the Quad Cities

Create and program a Quad Cities Diversity Council

Communities that welcome and encourage diversity and foster inclusive government, business, and community networks are the places achieving the most economic success in today’s America. Young people especially have indicated that diversity and inclusion are key criteria for their desired places of residence.

BP20 Diversity and inclusion must be more than buzzwords and lip service. The creation of a Quad Cities Diversity Council will develop capacity to foster a culture of inclusion through education and outreach programs for public and private constituency groups across the region. Under the guidance of the Council, the Quad Cities could develop an annual event such as a Diversity Summit for all regional stakeholders or forums on key diversity-related issues for invited participants or the entire community to attend.




Develop a regional Boards and Commissions Leadership Institute

Often, publically appointed boards and commissions lack the diversity found in the community as a whole. Thus, the creation of a leadership program that identifies, supports, trains, and places people of color and other underrepresented community members for service on city and county publicly appointed boards and commissions would serve a worthwhile purpose in the Quad Cities, where appointed bodies are not reflective of local diversity. BP21

In addition to the training aspect, the program must work with city and county elected and appointed officials and staff to commit to leveraging Institute graduates for positions on local boards and commissions.

2.3 TALENT MARKETING AND ATTRACTION

2.3.1 Design and implement an external talent attraction marketing program to improve the awareness of the Quad Cities as a competitive destination for talent

Pursue opportunities to reengage expatriates for attraction back to the Quad Cities

In-migration of skilled talent is an important complement to the education, training, and retention of local workers. The recruitment of talent should be considered in the same way as recruitment of companies. External marketing should identify and pursue prospects through formalized outreach and management to locate to the Quad Cities. It is recommended that efforts focus on high-priority markets with a large number of expatriate Quad Cities residents. Pursuit of talent prospects with a preexisting knowledge of the region will have a much greater likelihood of success. BP22

There are multiple potential components of a talent attraction program, but most include some type of access to the alumni lists of regional colleges and universities for targeted outreach, hosting of external events in communities with large numbers of expatriates, social media, targeted advertising, and the creation of a talent portal as proposed in Tactic 2.1.4.

2.4 LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT

2.4.1 Provide the tools necessary to identify, develop, and sustain public and private leadership in the Quad Cities

Foster opportunities for Quad Cities’ emerging leaders to develop skills to expand their capacity for leadership

The Quad City Leadership Academy administers a five-month program to teach techniques and skills for existing and emerging leaders to create positive change in the region. Topics cover organizational dynamics, communications, team-building, networking, managing change, and other issues and opportunities. Many communities take leadership programs a step further by formalizing an engagement process for program participants to actively contribute to their communities after graduation through the identification and implementation of specific projects, programs, and participation opportunities.




2.4.2 Ensure that the Quad Cities’ public and private leadership networks reflect the diversity of its citizenry

Develop a Quad Cities Youth Leadership program

Leadership development should not bias against age. High school students very often demonstrate the desire and capacity for leadership and benefit from formalized training on how to capture, leverage, and enhance those skills for the benefit of themselves, their schools, and their communities. The Quad Cities should consider pursuing the creation of a leadership program for high-achieving Quad Cities high school students from across the region.

Revive the Quad Cities Diversity Institute

The Diversity Institute was a former effort led by Quad Cities area colleges to provide inclusive leadership development. While the initiative lost momentum, numerous leaders in the region feel that the program should be relaunched and reinvigorated to ensure that formalized support is provided for diverse aspiring leaders in the Quad Cities. Leveraging of program graduates and placement on key public and private boards, committees, and commissions should be a component of the Institute’s refocused mission.

Effectively engage and leverage Quad Cities young professional leaders

Young Professionals of the Quad Cities (YPQC) serves as an important entry point for YPs looking to engage in the community and build leadership skills. The Leadership Council is the governance group of YPQC and oversees all business affairs, programming, and policy decisions.

BP23 YPQC leadership and public and private leaders across the Quad Cities should consistently assess opportunities for YPs to more strongly influence the region’s economy, talent retention and attraction, quality of life, political climate, and community culture.

2.5 HEALTHY PEOPLE

2.5.1 Improve the health and wellness of Quad Cities residents and workers

Optimize the Quad City Health Initiative (QCHI)

QCHI is a community partnership working to create a healthy community through collaborative action on public health. Its programs include the Be Healthy QC Coalition, Mental Health (QC Hearts & Minds), and Tobacco-Free Quad Cities. While QCHI has established a strong base for regional health and wellness, some input respondents said the initiative must engage a broader array of regional stakeholder groups and businesses to take efforts to the next level. Working collectively, Quad Cities leaders should determine how to most effectively advance and enhance QCHI through improved community-wide engagement, relationship-building, and resource development.

Support the priorities of the United Way Health Council

The United Way Health Council is comprised of mental and wellness health experts and meets bi-monthly to address health related issues in the Quad Cities. The Council is focused on two target issues – youth mental health and youth wellness. The council is currently collecting data on youth mental health and wellness indicators to track across the region in order to help showcase need and drive action.




2.5.2 Seek to make the Quad Cities a hunger-free community

Make the Quad Cities a member of the Hunger Free Communities Network

The Hunger Free Communities Network (http://www.hungerfreecommunities.org/) is a nationwide platform for coalitions, campaigns, and collaborations committed to ending hunger in their localities. Members share knowledge and experiences with other organizers and practitioners. Network tools enable members to access best practices and resources from across the local and national anti-hunger communities. As it proceeds with efforts to end local hunger, the Quad Cities would be a welcome addition to this national network.

Support existing anti-hunger programs and partners

The River Bend Foodbank is a non-profit organization serving 22 counties in Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois that collects and distributes donated food to over 300 charitable organizations. In addition to basic foodbanking, the organization supports a number of programs focused on children, schools, senior citizens, and lower-income communities. The organization’s efforts should be effectively resourced and supported. A recently launched initiative, the Food Rescue Program, is being spearheaded by the Scott County Health Department. The Program seeks to transport and donate unconsumed food to those in the community who are hungry. A 14-member committee has already met and completed several steps to establish the program.

Implement efforts to expand a regional “food hub” in the Quad Cities

The Quad Cities Food Hub is a non-profit organization created to support local food production, connect producers and consumers, cultivate education and training programs, preserve and expand sustainable agriculture, foster local economic development, and promote healthy lifestyles through use of local foods, especially among underserved individuals and communities.

Cultivation and expansion of the Food Hub positively impacts both the fostering of local health and wellness and also efforts to eliminate hunger in the Quad Cities.



3. CONNECTED REGION


3.1 REGIONAL ATTITUDES AND ENGAGEMENT

3.1.1 Create and implement a regional branding initiative to enhance the self-image, pride, community engagement, and internal perceptions of the Quad Cities

Develop a comprehensive internal marketing initiative

Many resident attitudes in the Quad Cities are incongruent with the level of amenities, natural beauty, quality of companies, diversity of recreation amenities, arts and culture capacity, downtown dynamism, and other regional benefits that make the Quad Cities a competitive destination for business and talent. The good news is that these assets make it far easier to positively affect local perspectives and improve regional self-image, pride, attachment to community, and perceptions of the Quad Cities as a place to live, work, visit, and invest. But it is still a challenge – especially in an era where so many different stimuli are competing for people’s attention – to effectively engage stakeholders and motivate them to change their opinions and become more vocal advocates for their community. The best chance for success in a comprehensive internal marketing campaign is to develop diverse and creative tools and forums to reach people and get them thinking or engaging in dialogues. A diverse group of local leaders should steer the campaign development and implementation process, which should include some type of regional brand, logo, and messaging platform. Multiple media platforms should be used to communicate the chosen themes, narratives, and images of the campaign, building on the success of efforts such as “#TagTheQC.” A list of “talking points” could be developed and promoted for use by all stakeholders when discussing the Quad Cities internally and externally. A process could also be established to designate interested residents as official “QC Ambassadors” for their individual communities and the region at large. The dynamics of the initiative should continually evolve as it gains traction and progresses

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Improve the awareness and coordination of volunteer-engagement opportunities

The Quad Cities is an active community for volunteer opportunities; this is reflected in multiple access points for individuals looking to donate their time and effort to a cause. The United Way of the Quad Cities area leverages more than 1,300 volunteers and provides an online portal for potential volunteers and non-profits to connect. Davenport Volunteer Connection is a tool to access opportunities in the city, while Quad Cities Youth Volunteers provides a guide to options in Davenport, Bettendorf, Moline, and Rock Island. There are also separate volunteer links on the websites of the Red Cross, Unity Point, Habitat for Humanity, and many others. None of these sites link back or reference each other so the risk for duplication of opportunities is great. In order to ensure that the Quad Cities’ volunteer capacity is maximized, efforts should be undertaken to better unify information and engagement tools under a common regional banner. The United Way’s existing regional volunteer portal is the most robust and likely the best option to better coordinate and connect various programs. Individual volunteer access points and programs should not be abandoned, just better coordinated and expressly linked to the regional site.

3.2 COMMUNITY COLLABORATION

3.2.1 Embed of a culture of collaboration into the fabric of the Quad Cities

Create a cross-constituency framework for regional collaboration

Effective regionalism begins with a commitment to work together and a structure to achieve lasting partnerships. The Q2030 Regional Action Plan and its implementation can lead to the development of a holistic, inclusive, and flexible framework for pursuing the Quad Cities’ future goals. To optimize the development of the Quad Cities’ community “product” to market to talent and companies, all inputs that comprise that product, and the stakeholders that represent them, must come together effectively to pursue shared visions and strategies. The structures that brought leaders and groups together behind the Q2030 process should be perpetuated as tools to foster ongoing community collaboration across all public, private, civic, and citizen constituencies. Development of leadership teams and work committees will be focused on improving all aspects of the Quad Cities competitive dynamics. Electronic and inter-personal tools to ensure communication with and between participating stakeholders remains strong should also be considered.

Commit to “building bridges” across diverse Quad Cities communities

The presence of the Mississippi River was often referenced as a divider of the Quad Cities. However, many stakeholders said this concept could be reversed by emphasizing opportunities to bridge both sides of the river, both physically through infrastructure and virtually through connections between different communities and constituency groups. This notion of building virtual bridges could be formalized




programmatically by creating multiple and distinct opportunities to connect Quad Cities citizens, governments, businesses, non-profits, and other groups. Assurances (perhaps branded as Bridge Compacts or some other name) to collaborate could be developed as signed pledges for governments, companies, organizations, and institutions across the region to increase levels of collaboration. Sponsored events and community dialogues as well as electronic tools like e-Government technologies and interactive discussion boards like MySidewalk.com could also be utilized to support collaborative efforts.

3.2.2 Work collectively to support and enhance the Quad Cities’ civic and non-profit sectors

Effectively align the efforts of non-profit organizations and programs

Nearly all communities of size feature numerous diverse and active non-profits representing multiple geographies and clients of all types. There is often natural competition among these entities for scarce programmatic dollars provided by public, but mostly private and philanthropic sources. The risk of service duplication and programmatic redundancy is great. Funders also sometimes feel “donor fatigue” created by writing numerous checks to numerous organizations across the community, often for initiatives that can be similar. Granting entities that support these non-profits are starting to assume coordination and optimization roles as well. Increasingly, organizations like the United Way are compelling non-profits to better collaborate by awarding grants to teams of non-profit partners and holding them accountable to defined performance standards. Networks of non-profit entities are linked via a “collective impact” framework of shared action, oversight, and measurement. The United Way of the Quad Cities Area has begun a shift to supporting teams of local grantees and establishing performance metrics to guide future giving. As the “backbone” of coordination processes, the United Way would maintain lines of communication with and between non-profits and ensure that efforts to improve operational alignment are proceeding effectively. This process could be accelerated through the participation of major private, philanthropic, and institutional investors tying their donations to the responsiveness of grantees to working together and reaching performance goals. An inventory and analysis could be conducted to determine those organizations best able to efficiently and effectively advance their missions and align with other non-profits.




Leverage mentorship to support enhanced non-profit performance and sustainability

The concept of mentor-driven “acceleration” of a startup business’s path to market is well established. However, it is increasingly being applied to contexts of non-profit management and development. One model available for franchising locally is Social Venture Partners (SVP), a program that funds operational needs of selected non-profits for a sustained period of time if they agree to work with mentors to improve organizational areas in need of enhancement. There is a “pitch” event similar to Demo Days in a startup accelerator where participating non-profits give an “elevator speech” for why investors should support their organizations. The Social Venture Partners program or a variation of it could be impactful for the Quad Cities, especially in the social services and arts and culture sectors

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Expand programs such as “Critical Talent Network” to assist cities and non-profits in identifying ways to refine, refresh, and enhance their administrative operations

The Quad Cities could leverage a proven local program to support the ability of civic and non-profit entities to increase their capacity, optimize their programs, and enhance administrative operations by expanding the membership or refocusing existing capacity of the Critical Talent Network model for applications to municipal government and not-for-profit organizations. Network members could serve as mentors, guiding and directing participating organizations through the process of improving their efficiencies and maximizing the impact of their programs and operations. Network members could also be incorporated into activities of the Social Venture Partners initiative.

3.2.3 Enable local governments, regional organizations, and non-profits to better serve the region and their constituencies by identifying and pursuing opportunities to improve efficiencies and maximize their capacity for sustained impact

Partner with government officials to identify and realize opportunities for collaboration

Governments do not have to be consolidated to achieve cost savings through operational efficiencies. Examples from other regions have shown that committed partnerships between the elected officials and staff of local governments can lead to substantive discussions and agreements on opportunities to combine programs, create shared technologies and response protocols, and institutionalize scenarios to come together and brainstorm ways to work together better. Governments and departments in the Quad Cities already partner on numerous efforts to share services or jointly operate programs. Local Quad Cities government officials should establish more formal processes to meet and discuss opportunities for program and/or service coordination or consolidation. Leveraging tools such as Iowa’s 28E legislation to advance regionalization of services is also an option. There is also the potential to have regional companies or institutions provide “loaned executives” or other temporary assistance to help local governments or teams of local department staff improve efficiency.

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Consistently assess the potential to improve organizational efficiencies

As public and private resources to support programming in a variety of contexts become tighter, it is always prudent to identify potential opportunities for combining programs or departments to enhance the value proposition for investors and improve the ability of organizations to fulfill their missions. As such, discussion amongst leadership and key constituency groups should regularly focus on these opportunities.

Launch an annual bi-state summit in the Quad Cities

An initiative that could have both symbolic and actual benefit for advancing government collaboration in the Quad Cities is to have the governors of Iowa and Illinois – and, potentially, the U.S. senators from both states – meet every year in a summit focusing on successes and challenges of the past year and solutions for the next 12 months. The focus could be on bi-state collaboration and jointly-sponsored projects that could benefit the Iowa and Illinois Quad Cities. The Summit would be driven by regional Quad Cities public and private leadership and result in a set of ambitious ideas for formalization into a Work Plan to be reported on at the next Summit.

3.3 INTRA-REGIONAL MOBILITY

3.3.1 Continue planning and investment in enhanced transportation systems

Effectively inform and support regional transportation planning

In the Bi-State Regional Commission, the Quad Cities has a functional entity to oversee metropolitan area transportation planning. The agency provides a coordinated and continuing process to assist communities in the implementation of transportation improvements and is an example of the possibilities inherent in structural bi-state cooperation. As the region’s metropolitan planning organization (MPO), the Commission is overseeing development of the Quad Cities Metro Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP) for 2045 and the shorter-term priorities incorporated into the Quad Cities Metro Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) and Quad Cities Metro Transportation Planning Work Program (TPWP). With the replacement of the I-74 bridge, the proposed development of a river port in Muscatine, and other major developments occurring now and in the future in the Quad Cities, it will be critical for the regional business community to continue to ensure that priority projects are included in long-range transportation plans and shorter-term priority project lists. Effectively securing resources for high-impact projects through inclusion in the Public Policy Platform of the Chamber’s Business Advocacy Council (BAC) will also be critical to advancing the region’s mobility goals.




3.3.2 Develop more integrated, higher capacity transit networks

Incorporate priorities into medium-term and annual transit development plans

Though transit planning is a component of long-range transportation and mobility planning conducted by MPOs, there are also processes specific to transit investments and development projects. Planning involves outreach to human services agencies, transit operators, local governments, and the public to better coordinate existing transit programs and to identify funding to expand and or improve service delivery and coverage. Input informs the update of the Bi-State Region Transit Development Plan (TDP), a four-year program of transit needs, goals, and projects for a six-county area. An annual update of the TDP is finalized by May of each year. The voices of stakeholders like young professionals who are increasingly displaying a preference for traveling on multiple transportation modes are often absent from transit planning because this group is so difficult to reach and engage. But the transformation of transit into a perceived public good in the Quad Cities and mobility option for non-transit-dependent riders will be contingent on incorporating enhancements into the TDP focused on upgrading the rider experience, better system transferability, competitive peak-period headways, and other improvements. New voices contributing to transit planning would complement the needs of existing users and those dependent on transit to access work and training to support themselves. In a production-based economy like the Quad Cities, the provision of transit services to accommodate off-hour shifts is especially important.

Make transit usage in the Quad Cities more user-friendly

As a multi-county region without a large core city with a dominant population base, the Quad Cities does not have a configuration that would easily lead to the development of a comprehensive, multi-jurisdictional transit system serving the majority of regional communities. Indeed, the Quad Cities offers transit riders multiple systems that do connect in some ways, but not in others. A principal issue mentioned in Q2030 public input was the inability to transfer from transit one system to another on the same fare. Because most transit trips involve transfers, if a rider’s destination bridges more than one system, his or her experience is going to be sub-optimal and they will be less likely to choose transit as a preferred travel mode. A system has been established – QC PassPORT – to provide unlimited free transfers between systems on a single ticket, but it is a monthly pass and not viable for casual transit users or visitors to the community. Serious consideration should be given to establishing a framework supporting free transfers on a fare-by-fare basis without the need to purchase a monthly pass. Created by the Bi-State Regional Commission, the QCTransit.com website is an online portal to access

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information on transit services in the Quad Cities area. It is a good start for improving the regional rider experience, but the site could be more robust and user-friendly. Beneficial upgrades would include the provision of up-to-date system maps for all regional systems and the option to electronically plan transit trips across one or more systems using points of origin and destination. A QCTransit mobile application could feature these services in addition to GPS-enabled information on bus locations and arrival/departure times.

Determine the potential to initiate a regional, high-capacity bus rapid transit (BRT) service

BRT is a service that uses “train-like” busses often travelling on dedicated lanes along limited-stop routes with priority signalization to link popular regional destinations and provide an improved experience for riders who typically do not use transit. BRT lines in Cleveland, Los Angeles, Pittsburgh, Kansas City, Eugene, Oregon, and many other places are seeing success not only in surpassed ridership totals, but also attracting development investment along their routes. The geographic configuration of the Quad Cities region would provide an interesting and perhaps viable opportunity for a regional BRT route connecting, at a minimum, the cities’ downtowns and major activity, employment, and education centers. The service would take the existing Loop route to the next level by increasing frequencies, operating times, destinations, and utilizing vehicles representing the next wave of customer-driven rapid transit. The BRT line could feature an exciting and dynamic brand and become an amenity that local stakeholders, especially young professionals, would brag about.

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3.3.3 Assess opportunities for improved local water transportation services

Pursue the possible expansion of the Channel Cat Water Taxi service

The Channel Cat Water Taxi, a service of the Rock Island County Metropolitan Mass Transit (Metro), came up multiple times in public input as a quality of life amenity unique to the Quad Cities. And the reality is that the Channel Cat in its current form truly is more of a lifestyle amenity than a transportation mode for most regional citizens. Its hours of service, trip frequencies, and winter-month dormancy limit its utility as a means of commutation for more frequent business and leisure travel. Identifying increased funding to support expansion of the Channel Cat would of course be an issue, as well as the likely need to develop more dockage options to increase its destination accessibility. But the benefits to commuters, visitors, and casual riders of a more robust Mississippi River water taxi service would be a notable accomplishment.



4. PROSPEROUS ECONOMY


4.1 CATALYSTS

4.1.1 Ensure the well-being, strategic importance, and economic impact of the Rock Island Arsenal

Reestablish the mission of the Quad Cities Defense Alliance

The Quad Cities Defense Alliance aligned key military, community, political, and business voices behind the rebranding of the Rock Island Arsenal as the home of U.S. Army logistics. The Alliance also oversaw the research and development of 2013 Regional Defense/National Security Strategy for the Quad Cities.

Though the Alliance has become less prominent in the Quad Cities, the vision and mission of the group still resonates as opportunities discussed in 2013 remain viable today. The Alliance should be reinvigorated as a strategic affiliate to realize the potential of the Arsenal as a catalytic driver of regional growth.

Revisit the 2013 Regional Defense/National Security Strategy for the Quad Cities Region

Quad Cities community partners initiated several in-depth studies to understand the Rock Island Arsenal’s strengths, challenges, and opportunities. A resulting strategy presented a vision for the Quad Cities’ relationship and future with the Arsenal in serving the nation’s security needs and outlined five primary goals: 1) Achieving regional collaboration, 2) elevating the Arsenal as a national asset, 3) integrating the region’s industrial base as a defense asset, 4) enhancing the Quad Cities as a military community, and 5) accelerating strategic communications and engagement efforts. Each of these remains viable today. Rather than start from scratch, the Quad Cities should take advantage of this prior initiative by refreshing and refocusing the 2013 strategy to reflect current defense sector challenges, opportunities, and priorities.

Maintain the Hooah! Quad Cities campaign as a key support program for the Rock Island Arsenal

Hooah! Quad Cities is a resource center for military members, veterans, and military families and a tool to connect with the Rock Island Arsenal. The program links service organizations, businesses, the military community, and civic leaders in support of the Armed Forces and seeks to maintain the Arsenal as a regional and national asset. Regional officials should continue to partner with Arsenal leadership and staff to ensure that awareness of the Hooah! program among military personnel and the public at large is pervasive and the utilization of the program’s tools is extensive.

Advocate for the Rock Island Arsenal in the forthcoming Defense Department Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) process

Some experts feel the Arsenal is vulnerable to closure or realignment in the next BRAC round due to issues including underutilization and excess capacity. A lobbyist has been retained to help advocate for the Arsenal in Washington, D.C. As in previous BRAC processes, it will take nothing less than a total community effort to ensure the survival of the Arsenal. Successful strategies to increase the output and impact of the Arsenal on the Quad Cities economy would be compelling arguments in defense of sustaining and even growing Arsenal operations in the next round of BRAC.




4.1.2 Establish the Quad Cities as a global hub of innovative manufacturing

Achieve the strategic vision of the Quad Cities Manufacturing Innovation Hub (QCMIH)

Comprised of multiple public and private partners, the Quad Cities Manufacturing Innovation Hub is an aggressive attempt to position the region as a national and global locus of manufacturing technology, research, education, and job creation. Four principal programmatic areas comprise the Hub’s vision. The fostering of business-to-business engagement and partnerships developed between the QCMIH and other regional and national organizations with corresponding goals and focus will help advance Hub efforts. The QCMIH should continue as the backbone of coordinated efforts to expand and diversify the regional manufacturing sector.

Create a Manufacturing Technology Roadmap to guide manufacturing research, investment, education, and training

The development of a Technology Roadmap coordinated by the Hub will enable the Quad Cities to identify and confirm its manufacturing technology focus areas. All key regional partners –the Rock Island Arsenal-Joint Manufacturing & Technology Center, Quad City Manufacturing Lab, higher education institutions, and manufacturers – will engage in determining emerging technologies that will guide the region’s manufacturing-focused research, investment, education, and training.

Create a clear and aligned Regional Manufacturing Strategy

Informed by the Technology Roadmap and other inputs, the Hub partners will identify, leverage, and develop world-class tools and resources to fuel regional manufacturing growth. This will be accomplished through a coordinated effort among all key partners to assess existing capacity and determine needed enhancements to expand manufacturing in the Quad Cities. This includes a supply base analysis to guide growth plans, build on regional strengths, and diversify the manufacturing economy.

The resulting Strategy will have accompanying operational, personnel, governance, and budgetary prescriptions and well as a phasing plan for activation of key strategic recommendations.

Provide collaboration and learning space to share best practices

The Quad Cities’ manufacturing sector already has entities like the Rock Island Arsenal-Joint Manufacturing & Technology Center, Quad City Manufacturing Lab, QC Co-Lab, college and university spaces, and other facilities that foster dialogue, collaboration, shared learning, and innovative research.

Through the Hub effort, these existing partners and additional shared collaboration and learning spaces will be more effectively leveraged and coordinated to support cluster-building in the Quad Cities manufacturing industry.

4.1.3 Charge public and private regional leaders with driving a process to maximize the impact of the billion dollar renewal of the I-74 Gateway Corridor over the Mississippi River Develop a strategic blueprint for how the Quad Cities can most effectively leverage I-74 upgrades for additional benefit

The I-74 Gateway Corridor over the Mississippi River project will increase capacity throughout the corridor by upgrading approximately seven miles of the existing four-lane interstate. Work includes a new Mississippi River crossing, improvements to six existing service interchanges, enhancements to the connecting arterial roadway system, and improved opportunities for transit, bicycle/pedestrian, and




intermodal connections. The project represents a massive investment and once-in-a-generation opportunity to transform the project area and adjacent properties into world-class transportation and quality of place amenities. Public and private Quad Cities partners in the project area and beyond should work collaboratively to formalize a strategic agenda and implementation framework to not only optimize funded I-74 projects but also associated benefits adjacent to and benefitting from corridor redevelopment. The agenda should integrate all existing and potential transit, bike/ped, and intermodal planning and investment.

4.2 COMPETITIVE INFRASTRUCTURE

4.2.1 Ensure existing and prospect businesses have a sufficient supply of competitive development sites and buildings to accommodate growth

Assemble a Task Force to assess and recommend site development strategies

Public input among economic development practitioners, developers, property owners, and other stakeholders identified the lack of modern, competitive development sites and buildings as one of the Quad Cities’ greatest competitive deficits in the pursuit of business expansion and relocation. Projects and jobs are being lost because of a lack of quality sites. Unfortunately, neither the public nor private sectors currently have the wherewithal to singularly solve this issue. Collectively, however, solutions may be possible.

The proposed Site Development Task Force will contain government and economic development officials, property owners and developers, and corporate representatives. The group will engage in facilitated discussion supported by research on potential models, available incentives and districts, and other information conducted by a regional partner organization. Example programs and projects from other regions will be identified and shared with the Task Force. Research and assessment will lead to the creation of potential strategies to enhance the region’s development product. These strategies will be vetted and confirmed for collaborative and purposeful implementation.

Explore the potential development of a bi-state industrial park in the Quad Cities

Potentially under the auspices of the proposed Site Development Task Force, analysis will be conducted on the possibilities for development of a major industrial park – perhaps focused on a priority regional target industry – jointly funded, administered, and marketed by Iowa and Illinois resources. All revenues from the park would also be shared equally. There are examples across the country of industrial parks co-developed by different states, but not many of them. So, through this process, the Quad Cities can demonstrate national leadership as a region that partners across state lines to enhance the local economy.




Continue to pursue site certification for development properties in the Quad Cities

In an effort to address the lack of project-ready industrial sites in the state, the Iowa Economic Development Authority rolled out its Iowa Certified Site Program in May 2012. A site in Davenport recently received certification under this program. Quad Cities economic development professionals, governments, and property owners should continue working with state officials to officially certify key Quad Cities project sites as “project-ready.” A similar site-certification program does not currently exist in Illinois. Quad Cities leaders should therefore support implementation of the component of Initiative 1 in the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity’s July 2014 strategic plan to “Pursue a comprehensive certification program for Illinois’ industrial sites.”

4.2.2 Significantly enhance the Quad Cities’ capacity for waterborne commerce

Support efforts to develop an intermodal port facility in Muscatine, Iowa

Recently, the city of Muscatine established a Port Authority will the express purpose of eventually developing a major intermodal port on the Mississippi River. Just downriver from the Quad Cities, a major facility in Muscatine would have a significant positive impact on the Quad Cities’ logistics sector. Quad Cities officials should provide all necessary support to ensure that the Muscatine port project proceeds effectively and in a timely manner. This would include incorporating advocacy related to port funding into the Quad Cities’ priority policy agendas.

As the Muscatine project moves forward, Quad Cities planning entities and government should determine how the region can best connect to the Port of Muscatine through enhanced transportation linkages. This is especially germane as Muscatine is not connected to the Quad Cities via a federal interstate. Analysis should also be conducted to assess opportunities for port-related site development and marketing.

4.2.3 Optimize the Quad Cities’ connectivity for business and leisure travel

Fully capitalize on passenger rail service from Chicago to the Quad Cities

The awarding of a $230 million federal grant for a new passenger rail route from Chicago to Moline along with state funding will be used to complete all the design and construction necessary to initiate Amtrak service to the Quad Cities. Previous grants and local monies will fund the construction of an Amtrak station – branded The Q – in Moline to accommodate the new service. Many local stakeholders feel the rail service will be a transformative opportunity for the Quad Cities as it enhances connectivity to the major global hub of Chicago and also might one day extend west to other major economic centers.

Quad Cities leaders should continue working to ensure that passenger rail will be constructed in a timely manner. The Quad Cities Passenger Rail Coalition (QC Rail) is an existing tool that could be beneficial not only in terms of development of the funded segment but also the potential extension of Amtrak service to Iowa City, Des Moines, and, eventually, Council Bluffs, Iowa.




Continue seeking enhanced passenger air connectivity from Quad City International Airport (QCIA) to priority direct destinations

The recent announcement of direct passenger air service from QCIA to Washington, D.C.’s Dulles International Airport was a major coup for the region and the result of months of hard work. Efforts should continue not only to ensure that utilization of the new Dulles nonstop is high enough for the airline to maintain the service, but also to determine additional priority direct destinations to launch at QCIA.

The region should leverage the leadership on the Quad Cities Chamber’s Air Service Committee to continue working with airport and community partners to identify direct-flight destinations, secure resources to attract carrier routes to these markets, and negotiate with airlines to provide new service. With funding always a concern related to air service, the Quad Cities should continue outreaching to not only Illinois but also Iowa government to support funding of new air service. The Quad Cities might also consider developing some type of bi-state Air Services Incentive Fund to secure airline commitments for new routes.

4.2.4 Provide regional businesses with best-in-class broadband connectivity

Assess opportunities to provide gigabit broadband connectivity to Quad Cities’ residents and businesses

The time is near in which all communities will need to provide cost-competitive gigabit broadband connectivity to the majority of regional businesses and residents in order to be competitive across all categories of economic and talent development and attraction. So it is a pressing need for the Quad Cities to identify strategies to provide comprehensive gigabit service. It is also not likely – at least in the short term – that a provider such as Google Fiber, AT&T, Sprint, or another company will choose to invest in installation of gigabit fiber in the Quad Cities. Markets chosen for service demonstrate section criteria that can likely not be met by local communities or the entire region.

BP29 Therefore, the use of public money to develop gigabit service is the most logical way forward at this time. Multiple possibilities exist for this investment, including public-private partnerships, creation of funding authorities, multi-government agreements to fund and operate service regionally, tapping into the capacity of the Arsenal communications infrastructure, and others. The ultimate decision on the preferred method for providing either local or regional service will be made after thorough and consensus-driven discussion on all viable gigabit options and the model that works best for regional cities/counties or the Quad Cities as a whole. A process should be formalized through implementation of the Q2030 plan to move forward with development of gigabit broadband in the Quad Cities.

Ensure accessibility to gigabit broadband is equitable

While the issue of equitable access to gigabit broadband is less of a concern if a network is not privately funded, the ability of residents of all income levels to access the internet at gigabit speeds is nevertheless an important issue to consider as a public, private, or public-private gigabit system is built out and launched in the Quad Cities. Solutions typically involve the provision of subsidized service to residents with proven incomes at pre-determined levels below the local median.




4.3 RETENTION AND EXPANSION

4.3.1 Design and implement efforts to effectively support the growth of existing Quad Cities businesses in established and emerging economic clusters

Continue effective implementation of the Business Connections and Critical Talent Network programs

The efficacy of the region’s existing business efforts was validated in 2014 when the Professional Developers of Iowa awarded the Quad Cities Chamber with the Best Overall Business Retention and Expansion (BRE) award for its Business Connections program. Through this initiative, chamber staff and local government partners meet with targeted companies to determine business growth obstacles and opportunities, track growth trends, and assist with potential expansions. Supplementing the Connections program is the Critical Talent Network, a group of over 250 retired executives, functional experts, business owners, and entrepreneurs who assist companies with a variety of competitive issues and opportunities.

The region should continue professionally-staffed efforts to meet with top Quad Cities companies to identify and resolve competitive issues and opportunities, confirm and address workforce needs, facilitate business-to-business development referrals, source and capitalize on prospect attraction leads, and other responsibilities. Consideration could also be given to enhanced applications of Critical Talent Network expertise to support other strategic economic development programming efforts.

Develop a Quad Cities export initiative to maximize the overseas potential of regional companies

Exports represent a critical component of national and local economic wealth-creation by capturing opportunities in new markets and increasing growth in so-called “traded” sectors exporting goods and services out of the region. Certainly, the largest multi-national corporations in the Quad Cities market likely do not require the assistance of economic development professionals to fuel exports except in cases of federal lobbying and advocacy. However, hundreds of local companies without the wherewithal to dedicate significant resources to pursuing overseas business could benefit greatly from targeted, structured, and ongoing support to access foreign markets and customers. BP30 The creation of a strategy to most effectively grow the Quad Cities export-based economy can leverage many existing tools like the Brookings Institution’s guide for state and metropolitan leaders that summarizes the key steps toward developing an effective metropolitan export plan and initiative. All U.S. states also have personnel dedicated to working with localities on expansion of their export-based economies. By enhancing support of regional businesses’ export goals, Quad Cities economic development entities can further increase their value proposition to investors.

4.3.2 Customize support for medium-sized businesses poised for rapid expansion

Develop a regional economic gardening program

While typical BRE programs are valuable for many regional firms, some companies require even more robust and high-capacity assistance to take them to the next level of success. One such program, economic gardening, focuses on strategic growth challenges such as developing new markets, refining business

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models, and gaining access to competitive intelligence. Economic gardening specialists help CEOs identify issues hindering their growth and then apply tools to deliver insights and information for CEOs to leverage. Eligible businesses typically have between 10 and 99 employees and revenue between $1.0 and $5.0 million per year. The Quad Cities should research and assess regional employment data to determine the number of value-added (export-based) firms eligible for assistance under established economic gardening parameters. This analysis will likely determine the need for and benefit of developing an economic gardening program. If viable, implementation of the program will require ensuring that the staff capacity and knowledge base exists to effectively assist eligible firms through the principals and practices of the gardening support framework.

4.3.3 Foster opportunities to develop a cooperative economy in the Quad Cities

Implement a “community wealth building” initiative to capitalize on regional anchor institutions and companies

A new model of local economic development is emerging that focuses programmatic attention on opportunities to build “bottom-up” growth through linking small, neighborhood-based businesses to one or more established regional customers. Community wealth building strategies leverage a portion of these “anchor” institutions’ annual expenditures to establish a network of cooperative enterprises in surrounding neighborhoods to increase asset ownership, prevent product and services “leakage,” create living-wage jobs, ensure economic stability, and develop the financing and management capacities that can take projects to scale. With the regional presence of entities such as the Rock Island Arsenal, corporations like John Deere & Company, Alcoa, and others, and major hospital systems, the Quad Cities is a good candidate for exploration of the potential of the CWB model. It may be worthwhile for local officials, neighborhood leaders, and small business advocates to visit a high-performing example network like the Evergreen Cooperative in Cleveland, Ohio to understand program dynamics, challenges, and opportunities for application to the Quad Cities. If interest emerges for the program, a Quad Cities enterprise based on the CWB model should be pursued as a pilot program.

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4.4 ENTREPRENEURIAL ECOSYSTEM

4.4.1 Establish a “center of gravity” for the Quad Cities’ entrepreneurial ecosystem

Program and promote a dedicated Quad Cities entrepreneurial event and networking space

The most dynamic so-called entrepreneurial “ecosystems” – essentially, the sum total of supportive programs, entrepreneurial capacity, network intensity, events, and other assets – are those developed, led, and coordinated by entrepreneurs themselves. This presents a Catch-22 situation in that communities without a strong base of entrepreneurs have a difficult time creating them. However, it is often the case that the potential for a competitive ecosystem exists, but it is “hidden” because entrepreneurs and other

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potential members of the ecosystem are not connected and have no established venues or forums to meet and partner. In some cases, the repurposing or development of a space dedicated to serving as a meeting and event site for entrepreneurs has helped catalyze the growth of local ecosystems. The Quad Cities does not currently have a facility adopted by the entrepreneurial community as a “center of gravity.” However, many potential sites exist if enhanced or rededicated for this purpose. Again, the process should include a strong entrepreneurial voice. Leaders of the Ignite Quad Cities entrepreneurship initiative have led discussions on opportunities for creation of co-working space in the region. These efforts could be the basis for development of a more broadly purposed entrepreneurial meet-up venue.

Launch a Quad Cities chapter of the 1 Million Cups initiative

Developed by the Kauffman Foundation, 1 Million Cups is a free, weekly program designed to educate, engage, and connect area entrepreneurs. Every event follows a similar format in which one to two early-stage startups present their companies to an audience of their peers, mentors, educators, and advisors and then receive feedback. An ideal use for a new or repurposed Quad Cities entrepreneurial event space is to host weekly meetings of 1 Million Cups as a way to enhance networking capacity and also identify potentially viable startup businesses in the region.

Provide effective entrepreneurial networking and support services

Ignite Quad Cities is a Quad Cities Chamber culture-building initiative in partnership with Quad Cities SCORE and the local small business development centers of Illinois and Iowa to help entrepreneurs through provision of technical assistance, access to capital, networking, and relationships with community partners. The launch of the Ignite program was a very positive step for the Quad Cities in that a framework has been established to coordinate assistance services, networking opportunities, and connections between entrepreneurs and potential investors, talent, and customers. Program coordinators should continue to work with existing and aspiring entrepreneurs to assess ways to most effectively leverage the Ignite partnership to build capacity in the local ecosystem.

Borrowing a concept from the Quad Cities Manufacturing Innovation Hub, Ignite could mimic the “hub” model by strategizing the best ways to network and leverage partners and develop new capacity to establish the Quad Cities as a center of successful entrepreneurship.

4.4.2 Capitalize on entrepreneurship opportunities of the “maker” economy

Leverage makerspaces to support the growth of entrepreneurial manufacturing

Production-based companies and talent in the region have the opportunity to drive the creation of new companies capitalizing on the revolution in additive manufacturing technologies. Where the rubber often meets the road in this space is at so-called makerspaces, facilities that provide equipment, support, and connections to budding entrepreneurial manufacturers. In QC Co-Lab, the Quad Cities has an existing makerspace that since 2010 has been promoting industrial sciences, technology, engineering, art, and




music. Recently relocated to a larger facility, QC Co-Lab contains dedicated project rooms including industrial and electrical workshops, a library, classroom, and AV studio. Additional local capacity dedicated to small-scale additive manufacturing exists at the Quad City Manufacturing Lab and the Hubbell-Waterman FabLab at the Putnam museum. Launching a successful company is about more than just a good idea and access to equipment. The existing and future makerspaces in the Quad Cities should work together to create shared programming dedicated to supporting manufacturing entrepreneurs along the entire startup continuum from idea to final funding round. These efforts should be coordinated as necessary with the programs and assistance provided by the Quad Cities Ignite partnership.

4.4.3 Accelerate the launch and growth of startup firms in key Quad Cities target sectors

Launch a co-branded accelerator program in the metals and multi-material fabrication (M3) cluster

Different from co-working spaces and incubators, accelerators are typically time-limited, labor intensive, mentor-driven programs with competitive entry processes and “demo days” where startups present to potential investors. Most also require an ownership stake in startups accepted into the program. Increasingly, accelerators are focusing on industry niches and seeking partnerships with major corporations or institutions to lend credibility, funding, and a potential customer base to the acceleration opportunity.

BP34 With corporate and professional expertise in many sub-sectors of manufacturing, the Quad Cities has a number of opportunities for potential accelerator development. However, the region’s established presence in M3 technologies would provide an especially strong first foray into startup acceleration. Opportunities to leverage the Manufacturing Innovation Hub’s Manufacturing Technology Roadmap to attract and retain startup manufacturing technology firms in chosen focus areas would also be impactful. Regional officials should outreach to the Quad City Manufacturing Laboratory and high-profile regional companies to assess their interest in partnering with an established national accelerator in the development of a local program. TechStars is probably the best known of these national firms.

Pursue acceleration opportunities in additional Quad Cities employment clusters

Based on the experience and outcomes of initial attempts to launch a regional acceleration program, the Quad Cities should determine if additional opportunities to create niche accelerators exist in other areas of local employment concentration. These would also benefit from affiliation with a proven, widely recognized regional corporation or institution.

Support the continuing implementation of the Venture School program

Ignite Quad Cities, teaming with Eastern Iowa Community Colleges and the University of Iowa’s John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center, recently launched the Quad Cities Cohort of the Venture School, a six-week accelerator program utilizing the lean startup methodology.




As each successive class of entrepreneurs finishes Venture School, organizers should consistently work to enhance the initiative by applying participants’ experiences during and after the program into reworked components under the Pappajohn Center framework.

Enhance the Quad Cities’ capital-formation capacity

Without funding, entrepreneurs and their young companies will not survive. Only a handful of U.S. communities can arguably claim to have supplies of investment capital and investor expertise sufficient to support a thriving entrepreneurial sector. However, this is based on traditional notions of venture capital. Many places have so-called “silent money” in corporations, financial institutions, and individual investors that could be applied to entrepreneurial opportunities if the right connections can be made and value propositions communicated.

In order to leverage potential silent money in the Quad Cities, a comprehensive assessment of the region’s startup and entrepreneurial capital environment must be conducted. Based on the assessment, funding strengths, gaps, and opportunities should be incorporated into strategies for augmenting the Quad Cities’ availability of business-development capital. For the Quad Cities to truly take advantage of silent money, a corresponding cultural change will be necessary to encourage more risk taking in unproven opportunities and tolerance of investments that do not pan out. In the most entrepreneurial regions, failure is taken as a badge of honor among serial entrepreneurs who have launched successful startups, but unsuccessful ones as well.

4.4.4 Provide and promote opportunities for entrepreneurial education

Seed the next generation of Quad Cities entrepreneurs through multiple educational avenues and programs

Principles of entrepreneurship can be learned from an early age via curricula focused on starting and growing pretend companies. Consistent integration of entrepreneurial education into secondary and post-secondary education can refine skills and motivate potential entrepreneurs to start their own businesses and take them to scale.

The Quad Cities has programs in place to establish a baseline of support for entrepreneurs at different levels of their educational and professional development. Junior Achievement of the Heartland provides business-focused training for students in K-12 districts, while the Hubbell-Waterman FabLab at the Putnam supports classroom design and organization. At the post-secondary level, Augustana College now offers a Certificate in Entrepreneurial Studies. The Quad Cities Manufacturing Innovation Hub’s program area of Education can be utilized to support entrepreneurship training in the production economy. These existing resources should be integrated with future programs into a more formalized continuum of entrepreneurial education in the Quad Cities from elementary school through post-collegiate and professional contexts.




4.5 RESEARCH AND INNOVATION

4.5.1 Become a recognized center for manufacturing research activities

Develop a strategic blueprint to evolve the Quad City Manufacturing Lab into a more dynamic economic catalyst

Without a Tier 1 research university, the Quad Cities will have a difficult time realizing significant job growth from research and innovation-driven opportunities. But, unlike some U.S. regions, the Quad Cities is not without proven research capacity. The best hope for the region to ascend to a higher tier of innovation-fueled growth is the Quad City Manufacturing Laboratory (QCML), a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization headquartered at Rock Island Arsenal. QCML performs research, development, and technology transfer in advanced materials and manufacturing processes including additive, lightweight, composite, and digital. The Lab already has contractual and informal relationships with multiple academic institutions in Illinois and Iowa and works with engineers and technicians from area companies to develop, educate, and implement new manufacturing systems, procedures, and technologies. QCML also partners with the Rock Island Arsenal Joint Manufacturing and Technology Center to enhance research, development, and reversibility capabilities.

One of the Quad Cities Manufacturing Hub’s major goals is to turn the QCML into an active research and demonstration space for 3-D printing and other emerging technologies. Achieving this vision will require the development of a detailed blueprint for optimizing the capacity, partnerships, output, and economic impact of the QCML. The development and implementation of this strategy should occur consistent with the Hub’s Technology Roadmap and Manufacturing Strategy initiatives.

Fully leverage the new Quad Cities chapter of the Digital Manufacturing and Design Innovation Institute (DMDII)

Under the NNMI research framework, a network of Institutes for Manufacturing Innovation works to solve industry-relevant problems. Each Institute has a unique focus, but a common goal to create, showcase, and deploy new capabilities and manufacturing processes. UI Labs, a Chicago-based research and commercialization collaborative, recently launched a new NNMI-affiliated applied research and innovation lab known as the Digital Manufacturing and Design Innovation Institute, or DMDII. In fall 2015, a new partnership between the Quad Cities Chamber and DMDII resulted in the launch of a Quad Cities chapter of the Institute to be housed at the Quad City Manufacturing Lab. Under the auspices of the Quad Cities Manufacturing Innovation Hub, the DMDII chapter should be leveraged to its fullest extent to support the Hub’s Manufacturing Technology Roadmap and research focus areas.

Efforts should also be maintained to identify and advance a manufacturing technology to secure an Institute for Manufacturing Innovation in the Quad Cities.




4.5.2 Cultivate a high-capacity institutional research presence in the Quad Cities

Launch a public-private Quad Cities Research Consortium and Center

Though the Quad Cities is without a higher educational research campus, it is strategically located proximate to many high-impact research institutions and is home to the Rock Island Arsenal as well as a number of major innovation-focused corporations with significant global operations. Its future rail link to Chicago provides enviable connectivity to one of the world’s busiest airport systems and even more major universities and companies. In short, the Quad Cities is well positioned to outreach to high-capacity institutions about designing and developing a major research center focused on an emerging technology with applicability in the Midwest and beyond.

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Certainly, the first opportunities for partnerships should be offered to the University of Iowa, Northern Iowa, Iowa State, Western Illinois, Northwestern, University of Chicago, and other top-tier institutions within a reasonable drive of the region. The technology area to focus on, value proposition for membership, resource, facility, and equipment needs, and other critical issues must be resolved before approaching any partner institution. Local governments and regional entities should consider how they can contribute to the effort through donation of land, provision of infrastructure, or some other asset. A major corporate or individual benefactor might also need to be identified to provide a transformative seed investment to spur interest and additional resource commitments. While the development of an institutional consortium and research center is a very aspirational ambition, there are examples in other communities of similar capacity developed without the presence of a local Tier 1 university as an anchor.

4.6 POLICY AND ADVOCACY

4.6.1 Ensure state and federal policies are supportive of quality economic growth in the Quad Cities

Continue leveraging annual public policy agendas to advance key state and federal legislative priorities

The Business Advocacy Council (BAC) is the advocacy arm of the Quad Cities Chamber and woks to assist overall economic growth in the Quad Cities region, with a focus on core industries. Efforts are applied at the local, regional, state level in Illinois and Iowa, and federal level. The BAC develops an annual Public Policy Platform centered on policies that will assist overall economic growth in the region in four core areas: business climate and balanced growth, education and workforce readiness, infrastructure and transportation, and quality of place. The Chamber hosts events and capitol visits throughout the legislative session.

With the challenges of advocating for policies in two very different states and federal delegations, the Quad Cities must continue to pursue consensus-driven processes to identify and confirm annual policy priorities.




4.7 TARGETED MARKETING

4.7.1 Invest in multiple media to advance growth in emerging and established targeted employment sectors and clusters

Ensure owned online and electronic media continue to reflect best-in-class capabilities

In marketing, “owned” media refers to tools and platforms that the marketing organization controls. In economic development, this translates to websites, social media, and e-newsletters. In fact, an organization’s website is the most important marketing tool it has because it is the point of first contact for most prospects and site consultants researching the community. Social media sites like LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube, and, less so, Facebook and other less business-focused sites are also gaining in importance as mechanisms to build awareness of regional assets, companies, opportunities, and developments. Often, owned media is segmented by target industry with the development of specific web domains and social media feeds for efforts promoting logistics, manufacturing, and health sciences.

Quad Cities First is the unified regional external marketing entity for the region. Its website is a well-developed tool featuring all the capabilities expected by corporate and independent relocation specialists. Search optimization tools ensure that web users using search engines to research the Quad Cities will see the Quad Cities First page among the initial entries in the search-results page. Investments in additional targeted marketing capacity also populate the user’s browser with Quad Cities-focused advertisements after a search is conducted with Quad Cities-specific terms. Social media accounts are available to market the Quad Cities across all platforms. While some feeds are updated more regularly than others, the overall presence of the Quad Cities on social media is robust. E-newsletters are delivered to subscribers regularly and contain large amounts of information on Quad Cities news, events, assets, and opportunities. Market Street does not recommend large scale reinvention of Quad Cities First’s owned media marketing. Ensuring that sites and accounts are up to date, pushing out regular posts and information, and consistently leverage new technologies and platforms will be sufficient to ensure that the Quad Cities maintains a competitive presence for potential national and international investors.

Make necessary investments to secure positive earned media coverage

As opposed to owned media where the organization controls the message, earned media is driven by investments in public relations and distributed information-sharing that result in media stories that present positive images of the community. Like most economic development, earned media placements are largely influenced by relationships nurtured with representatives from objective media outlets. Earned media is the most effective promotion a community can receive because it is considered objective by companies and site selectors.

The Quad Cities should invest sufficiently in public relations to secure frequent earned media promotion




conveying positive perceptions of the Quad Cities in its bi-state markets and nationally. Contracts with public relations firms or professionals should be metric-driven to ensure that performance expectations are being met. Potential story ideas and positive regional news should be provided to the contracted firm for dissemination to respected media outlets. Successful earned media programs often result in selection to “top community” lists that, for better or worse, can be important influencers of public opinion.

Supplement media efforts through the creation of marketing collateral pieces

While sales sheets, information packets, and other more traditional marketing tools are gradually being phased out of programs, there is still the need to offer “leave-behinds” at conventions, meetings, and other face-to-face engagements or when specifically requested by a prospect. All materials should be targeted, updated regularly, and also provided electronically via websites, e-newsletters, or social media. Consistency in look, feel, and message is important across materials and individual and regional products. Different presentations of economic and demographic data or any inconsistencies between materials will be evidence that a region does not partner effectively on economic development marketing.

4.7.2 Focus inbound and outbound marketing efforts on priority influencers, events, and destinations

Continue leveraging major regional events to optimize inbound marketing opportunities

Quad Cities First takes advantage of the region’s most prominent annual event, the John Deere Classic golf tournament, to invite influential site consultants to the region to attend the tournament in exchange for participating in information-sharing sessions, familiarization tours, and meetings with top local companies and leaders. This is a common and effective practice in economic development as the field is still largely relationship-driven. If a site consultant with an impressive client roster favors the Quad Cities, odds are better that he or she might bring the region to the attention of a company seeking particular traits in a prospect community. Regional economic development professionals should determine if additional Quad Cities events would hold benefit as opportunities for inbound marketing engagements.

Focus marketing missions and conference attendance on the highest-value, targeted opportunities

As mentioned, economic development is relationship driven. Therefore, it continues to benefit Quad Cities First to attend out-of-market events attended by corporate personnel or site consultants in the region’s highest priority target industry categories. Existing Quad Cities companies in these sectors should also be leveraged as ambassadors or advocates for the region as a competitive location for their industry.

It is important for EDOs to consistently assess out-of-market travel to ensure that funders’ ROI is being maximized through selection of top-value prospect markets, industry-focused events, and sponsorships. Pre-travel research should optimize the time spent at events, with post-travel follow up focused on assessments of trip dynamics, dialogues, and expressions of prospect interest. Activity generated by direct sales investments should be tracked to inform future efforts and demonstrate program ROI. Quad Cities First should also continue to travel with Iowa and Illinois state-level elected leaders and economic development officials to markets and events with applicability to the Quad Cities’ target sectors.




Continue efforts to attract foreign-direct investment (FDI) to the Quad Cities

International marketing is cost-intensive but an important component of a comprehensive external marketing program. Focusing on strategies to enhance the region’s total insourced employment is an effective complement to domestic efforts. As with out-of-market travel in the U.S., Quad Cities First should continue to accompany economic development teams and elected officials from Illinois and Iowa on high-priority, high-value international marketing trips to top destinations whenever possible.

There is also the opportunity to partner with Quad Cities multinational companies to leverage their international networks to identify potential attraction prospects, facilitate relationship-building, and pursue the potential recruitment of affiliated business units to the region

4.7.3 Effectively coordinate local and regional economic development partners

Provide a regular forum for communication, collaboration, and coordination among regional economic development partners

Though Quad Cities communities compete for prospects interested in locating to the region, there should be acknowledgement that an investment in the Quad Cities will ultimately benefit all local partners regardless of where the prospect ultimately lands. There was no feedback during the Q2030 public input process to indicate that this is not the case in the Quad Cities. In fact, a regional non-compete agreement between local governments ensures that companies will not be incentivized to relocate from one state to the other. Many bi-state regions do not have such an agreement. Despite the reported lack of animosity between local economic development officials, it is still useful to bring practitioners together often to discuss Quad Cities issues, opportunities, and how departments can support each other in improving local competitiveness for the benefit of the entire region. This could take the form of a Quad Cities Developers Council that meets regularly for facilitated dialogue or a more informal social setting or networking opportunity.



APPENDIX: BEST PRACTICES Market Street maintains an extensive library of best practice programs, processes, organizations, and efforts for application to key competitive opportunities and challenges identified through our comprehensive research process. Best practices recommended to inform the Q2030 Regional Action Plan were selected based on their specific relevance to actions and efforts the community can pursue. Ultimately, local leadership should utilize these best practices as guidelines and potential programmatic models to inform strategic efforts custom-tailored to the Quad Cities.

BP1 (1.1.2): Pier Park (St. Petersburg, FL) Pier Park is a future multi-purpose pier located in St. Petersburg, Florida. Although still in its construction phase, Pier Park will feature exploration and activity areas appealing to people of all ages and interests. The development of the park is heavily influenced by the tenets of flexible, adaptable programming, multiple experiences with varied constituents, and integration into the St. Petersburg waterfront master plan. Among the Pier’s most prominent features include:

• Multi-level observation platforms

• Electric Tram

• Multiple event spaces including a 4,000 capacity lawn

• Glass encased restaurant

• Children’s “wet” classroom

Throughout the selection process, city officials ensured that the public was engaged. A city-sponsored survey reached 10,000 verified city residents and the Pier Working Group operated transparently during the selection process of the proposed final designs. Pier Park’s construction is slated to be complete by 2018.

http://www.newstpetepier.com/

BP2 (1.2.1): Bravo Greater Des Moines Strategic Plan Bravo Greater Des Moines is a non-profit organization that supports arts, culture, and heritage groups in the Greater Des Moines area. Local governments in the area commit a portion of their hotel/motel tax revenues to Bravo, which leverages them plus other private donations to provide operational and capital grant awards to arts and culture organizations throughout central Iowa. Bravo Greater Des Moines recently completed a three-year Strategic Plan to establish the organization’s vision for creating a thriving arts and culture community in the Greater Des Moines area. The strategic planning process was led by a Strategic Planning Committee made up of Bravo Greater Des Moines board members and staff. Public input was solicited from the broader community through a regional Community Engagement Survey that was distributed online. The Bravo Greater Des Moines Strategic Plan identified the following five strategic

http://www.newstpetepier.com/



priorities, three of which focus on external service to the community, and two of which address necessary organizational infrastructure improvements:

• Invest wisely in a vibrant cultural community

• Enhance opportunities for the cultural community to thrive

• Promote the value of the cultural community and Bravo’s direct impact

• Enrich Bravo’s leadership to sustain success

• Protect legacy of sustainable investment in the cultural community

http://www.bravogreaterdesmoines.org/about/strategicplan/

BP3 (1.2.1): ArtsKC Fund (Kansas City, MO/KS) The ArtsKC Fund is a united arts fund run by the ArtsKC Regional Arts Council that provides grants to artists, arts organization, and arts programs in Kansas City’s five-county, bi-state metropolitan region. The ArtsKC Fund is supported 50 percent by workplace giving campaigns and 50 percent through businesses, corporate, and national foundations, local government agencies, and individual donors. Grants are divided into three categories: Ovation Grants, Catalyst Grants, and Inspiration Grants. Ovation Grants are reserved for a group of Kansas City’s most well-established arts organizations, Catalyst Grants are tailored towards small to mid-sized nonprofits for either project or mission support, and Inspiration Grants are awarded to individual artists and arts professionals for projects or career development.

https://artskc.org/artskcfund/

BP4 (1.2.2): Sloss Furnaces Metal Arts Program (Birmingham, AL) Sloss Furnaces is a national historic landmark located in the city of Birmingham, Alabama that produced iron for nearly 90 years. The 32-acre blast furnace plant produced iron from 1882 to 1971 when the plant was shut down. Reopening in 1983 as a museum and national historic landmark, Sloss now supports an active arts program that supports local artists in the area and provides hands-on learning opportunities for other aspiring artists. The Metals Arts program was first started in 1985 and has since gone on to hold countless workshops, exhibitions, and conferences on all aspects of metal working. Regular sculpture workshops in casting, welding, and forging are provided for the general public, while monthly open studios give local professional artists access to the foundry facilities to cast their own work. One program director and two artist-in-residents implement the Sloss Furnaces Metal Arts program activities.

http://www.slossfurnaces.com/metal-arts/

BP5 (1.2.3): Memphis-Shelby County (TN) Music Commission The Memphis-Shelby County Music Commission is a board of 22 Commissioners appointed by the City of Memphis Mayor and the Mayor of Shelby County to preserve, foster, and promote Memphis music to local, national, and international audiences. The Memphis & Shelby County Music Commission strengthens and advances the local music scene through education, networking, advocacy, and professional and industry development. The Commission also serves as a resource for advancing the international branding of Memphis as a first-class music city.

http://memphismusic.org/About.aspx

http://www.bravogreaterdesmoines.org/about/strategicplan/

https://artskc.org/artskcfund/

http://www.slossfurnaces.com/metal-arts/

http://memphismusic.org/About.aspx



BP6 (1.3.2): Explore Northwest Arkansas Downtown Pages (Fayetteville Region, AR) Explore Northwest Arkansas acts as a unified brand and web portal for a four-county region encompassing Benton, Washington, Carroll, and Madison counties in Arkansas. To reinforce the unified brand, Explore Northwest Arkansas aggregates dining, attractions, and accommodation information for nine downtown areas in the Northwest Arkansas region. Each downtown area is given its own separate webpage featuring the previously mentioned information alongside a calendar of upcoming events specific to the downtown area, featured downtown attractions, and a direct link to the downtown or county convention and visitor’s bureau website. Explore Northwest Arkansas is operated by the Northwest Arkansas Tourism Associate (NATA), one of twelve tourism regions created by the Arkansas Parks and Tourism Department. NATA is primarily funded as a partnership of area convention and visitor’s bureaus, chambers of commerce, advertising and promotion commissions, tourism committees, and Arkansas Parks and Tourism matching grants.

http://www.northwestarkansas.org/

BP7 (1.5.2): Winter Carnival (St. Paul, MN) The Saint Paul Winter Carnival is now one of the largest winter events in the country, regularly attracting 250,000 people per year. The Carnival began as a reaction to several newspaper correspondents who described the City of St. Paul and Minnesota as “another Siberia.” In response, a group of business owners collaborated to create a wintertime festival which would showcase all the beauty of Minnesota winters. Since its founding, the Carnival has added new events and attractions while maintaining its historic connection to the past. In 2015, St. Paul Winter Carnival organizers built a “Royal Courtyard” constructed from 1,000 blocks of ice harvested from Lake Phalen in homage to the first ice palace constructed in 1886. Other events held at the festival include the Moon Glow Pedestrian Parade, the Vulcan Victory Torchlight Parade, and the Red Bull Crashed Ice competition. The Saint Paul Winter Carnival is produced by the Saint Paul Festival and Heritage Foundation and is funded by private donations and corporate contributions. The Board of Directors, supported by corporate and individual members, employ a full time staff dedicated to planning the Winter Carnival.

https://www.wintercarnival.com/

BP8 (1.7.1) Multikulti (Chicago, IL) Founded in 2010, Multikulti is a multicultural community center for the arts and activism located in Chicago, IL. Multikulti offers meeting room space, video production capabilities, professional workspaces, radio production capabilities, technical support, and other services for creative-minded people to collaborate. Multikulti is a volunteer-based organization that is sustained by donations from co-contributors.

http://mkchi.org/

BP9 (2.1.3): Northland CAPS (Kansas City, MO) Northland Center for Advanced Professional Studies (NCAPS) is a career readiness, profession-based learning program where high school students in their junior and senior years are given the opportunity to gain real world, hands-on experience in a professional work environment. The partnership between the

http://www.northwestarkansas.org/

https://www.wintercarnival.com/

http://mkchi.org/



public education system and local employers enables students to have personalized learning experiences working with business partners and mentors and gaining professional skills such as problem solving, time management, and self-discipline. The students participate in projects with partner companies that align with the area of study and are given the opportunity to test career paths before post-secondary education. The program has grown from 150 students in 2008 to more than 800 students in 2015 and the classes offered continue to evolve. The CAPS advisory board, which develops class curriculum and determines additional class offerings, is made up of local industry experts.

www.northlandcaps.org/

BP10 (2.1.3): Regional STEAM Academy (Lexington-Fayette County, KY) The STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) Academy in Fayette County, KY is a partnership between Fayette County Public Schools and the University of Kentucky’s College of Education. Participation in the Academy is open to all incoming ninth-grade students in the region; students are eventually selected to participate in the Academy via a lottery process. The STEAM Academy focuses on design-based and project-based learning opportunities that equip students with relevant skills that they can apply to sought-after career fields. Participating students also are provided with potential opportunities to earn college credits in courses taught by University of Kentucky faculty, undergraduate, and graduate students.

http://www.steam.fcps.net/steam

BP11 (2.1.3): Code Louisville (KY) Code Louisville is a one-stop shop for people interested in learning how to develop software and tech sector employers looking to hire local talent. Code Louisville provides coding classes for aspiring software developers, opportunities for employed developers to mentor current students, and opportunities for local employers to connect with and hire talent. Code Louisville is a collaboration between the Metro Louisville Department of Economic Growth and Innovation, Greater Louisville, Inc., EnterpriseCorp, the Louisville Free Public Library, KentuckianaWorks, and additional local employers.

http://www.codelouisville.org/about/

BP12 (2.1.3): Reach Out to Dropouts (Houston, TX) The Reach Out to Dropouts initiative was first implemented by the Houston Independent School District (HISD) in 2004 as a means to re-engage students who had recently dropped out of high school. In its short history, its success has led to similar programs launching in 24 other Texas cities and communities across the country. A vast network of community volunteers (concerned citizens, teachers, administrators, business leaders, and the United Way) support the program by walking door-to-door in teams to visit the families of students that have not re-enrolled in school within the first few weeks of a new school year or failed to graduate the previous year. The 10th annual event held in September 2015 featured 18 school districts participating across greater Houston.

http://www.yourhoustonnews.com/cypresscreek/news/klein-isd-knocks-on-doors-to-reach-out-to-dropouts/article_17e1109c-f349-5663-91d0-cfe43fa3e633.html

http://www.northlandcaps.org/

http://www.steam.fcps.net/steam

http://www.codelouisville.org/about/





BP13 (2.1.3): Financial Aid Saturdays Program (Austin, TX)

The Austin Chamber recognized that much of the region’s highly-educated population was the result of in-migration for high-technology sector jobs and University of Texas–Austin enrollment. In addition, while higher education enrollment increases were keeping pace with overall population growth in the Austin metro, degree attainment would need to be double in order to fill current and future demands for educated workers. With the support of three local school districts, six higher education institutions, and 12 community organizations and companies, the Austin Chamber developed the 20,010 by 2010 program to boost local higher education enrollment by 30 percent over 48 months. The goal was to grow total regional enrollment in institutions of higher education by 20,010 by 2010.

Financial Aid Saturdays continued the legacy of the 20,010 program by providing free assistance to Central Texas high school seniors, prospective and current college students, and parents and guardians needing help to complete federal and state financial aid applications. The Chamber organized and trained volunteers to make calls, answer questions, and walk students and their families through the process of applying for financial aid in face-to-face events held on Saturday. In the first phase of the program, the Chamber’s more than 200 volunteers assisted over 500 families in filing FAFSA applications. A series of Financial Aid Saturdays events are now held annually during the college-application season.

http://www.austinchamber.com/education-talent/college-ready-now/financial-aid-saturdays.php

BP14 (2.1.3): Kalamazoo Promise (Kalamazoo, MI) The Kalamazoo Promise is a scholarship program offered to every Kalamazoo Public Schools (KPS) student who meets certain eligibility criteria. The scholarship program provides coverage for up to four years of instate tuition and mandatory fees for post-secondary education. The level of benefit a student receives is based upon a graduated scale dependent upon the student’s length of enrollment in the Kalamazoo Public School district. Students can receive a 100 percent scholarship provided they were enrolled in the district from kindergarten to 12th grade; students enrolled from sixth grade onwards can receive a scholarship covering 80 percent of their instate tuition and fee expenditures. Enrollment, however, is not the only eligibility criteria, students must also: 1) Make regular progress toward a degree or certification as defined by the Satisfactory Academic Progress of the school, 2) Maintain a 2.0 grade point average at the post-secondary institution, and 3) remain enrolled as a full time student. The Kalamazoo Promise is a 501(c)3 non-profit corporation funded entirely by a small group of anonymous donors.

https://www.kalamazoopromise.com/

BP15 (2.1.4): ImaginePittsburgh.com (Pittsburgh, PA) The Allegheny Conference on Community Development, a local economic and community development organization launched the ImaginePittsburgh website as a communications platform and a searchable job listing aggregator in an effort to connect job seekers with local employment opportunities. The website showcases the region as a place not only to work, but also as a community to live, play, and learn. The talent attraction initiative sponsors events in the community, has hosted online job fairs during which participants can chat in real time with recruiters at regional employers, and features a “Neighbors” section on the website that profiles Pittsburgh natives, settlers, and “boomerangers” where the residents offer their personal perspective about living and working in the region. The ImaginePittsburg.com talent portal has

http://www.austinchamber.com/education-talent/college-ready-now/financial-aid-saturdays.php

https://www.kalamazoopromise.com/



continued to be expanded upon and improved, with the Allegheny Conference recently introducing strategic marketing initiatives to target talent such as seterans leaving military service, IT talent, and “boomerangers.” Additionally, the Allegheny Conference and partners launched the ¡Hola Pittsburgh! initiative aimed at targeting and attracting Latinos, especially Puerto Ricans, to the area. In 2014, there was an average of more than 24,000 jobs displayed daily and visits to the site have doubled each year between 2011 and 2014.

www.Imaginepittsburgh.com

BP16 (2.1.5): Graduate! Philadelphia (PA) Graduate! Philadelphia was created in 2005 to focus attention on the issue of adult college completion in the City of Philadelphia and surrounding region. The program seeks to increase the number of adults completing college in the Greater Philadelphia region by engaging business, higher education, government, organized labor, workforce and economic development, community building organizations, social service providers, and college graduates to align resources, remove barriers, and create new pathways for adults to complete a college degree. Through collaboration and partnerships, Graduate! Philadelphia is able to implement five different programs aimed at improving college attainment in the Greater Philadelphia region:

• Back to College – The program provides assistance for finding a college and program, filling out financial aid applications, getting academic support, and other assistance required to reduce barriers for adults seeking to return to college.

• Employer Talent Solutions – The Employer Talent Solution program is aimed at adults already in the workforce, but who desire a college degree. Assistance services are offered to self-identifying employees or employees identified by managers for the degree completion program.

• College Partnerships – Through their college partnership program, college and universities in the Greater Philadelphia region participate in directing the Graduate! Philadelphia program and serve on an Advisory Council.

• Community Partnerships – The Graduate! Philadelphia Community Partnerships program is aimed at building relationships with organizations that are committed to assisting adults and building stronger communities. Graduate! Philadelphia partner programs include Greater Philadelphia Talent, Philly Goes 2 College, Returning to Learning, and CEOs for Cities.

• Ambassadors – Graduate! Philadelphia Ambassadors are comprised of current and former Graduate! Philadelphia recipients that join staff in outreach events and develop and manage events themselves on behalf of the organization.

The Graduate! program’s so-called “comebackers” (adults returning to college to finish a degree) have 90 percent-plus retention rates once they return to school.

http://www.graduatephiladelphia.org/

http://www.imaginepittsburgh.com/

http://www.graduatephiladelphia.org/



BP17 (2.1.5): LaunchCode St. Louis LaunchCode is a non-profit organization based in St. Louis that supports the technology sector by creating career pathways to the tech sector through apprenticeships and job placement opportunities. LaunchCode offers prospective tech workers the opportunity to test their technical abilities, receive career mentorship, connect with companies that fit their interests and skillset, and transition to paid apprenticeship opportunities with a company. Founded in 2013, LaunchCode helped fill 140 new jobs in computer programming in St. Louis in its first year and allowed over 1,000 people to take advantage of available mentorship and education programs for career advancement.

https://www.launchcode.org/

BP18 (2.2.1): Global Detroit (MI)

Global Detroit is a non-profit organization funded in part by the Detroit Regional Chamber of Commerce that identifies and implements initiatives that make the City of Detroit a more welcoming place for immigrants. Two of these initiatives include: an online database that allows immigrants to search for local providers of immigrant integration services and an entrepreneurship training and development program that focuses on tapping into entrepreneurial talent in low-income, minority, and immigrant neighborhoods. Global Detroit was birthed out of a 2010 study that documented the tremendous impact that immigrants have on the Detroit community. This study made a series of strategic recommendations to make Detroit more immigrant friendly; as of 2014, over $7 million was raised to put the recommendations into action.

http://www.globaldetroit.com/

BP19 (2.2.1) New2Lou (Louisville, KY) New2Lou is a social organization designed as a resource for transplants to Louisville who are looking to meet people, try new places, and connect to the community. New2Lou hosts events at local restaurants and bars to give people an opportunity to mingle and meet other newcomers, as well as locals who can provide insiders’ information to make the transition to Louisville a smooth one. In addition, New2Lou provides an online community where users post community news, information about upcoming events, and other invaluable information for people new to the city.

http://new2lou.com/

BP20 (2.2.2): Diversity Council (Rochester, MN) The Diversity Council is a non-profit organization formed in Rochester, Minnesota when the leadership of Rochester Public Schools recognized the need to combat racism and discrimination in the school system. The Diversity Council began in 1989 as Building Equality Together (BET). “Spark! Workshops” are the Diversity Council’s flagship program, starting in 1996 with just a handful of facilitators reaching students at three Rochester middle schools. By 2003, the workshops had reached more than 15,000 students in public and private schools. The Diversity Council also offers professional diversity training for adults with the Becoming the Solution program, parent training with Can Do Kids, and an anti-bullying after school program for youth called Student Leaders Creating Change.

http://www.diversitycouncil.org/#!about/cwq4

https://www.launchcode.org/

http://www.globaldetroit.com/

http://new2lou.com/

http://www.diversitycouncil.org/#!about/cwq4



BP21 (2.2.2): Boards and Commissions Leadership Institute (St. Paul, MN) The Boards and Commissions Leadership Institute (BCLI) is a seven-month program that supports, trains, and places people of color and other underrepresented community members on city and county publicly appointed boards and commissions. These appointed groups influence and impact equity, economic development, health, housing, transit, and workforce development in the Twin Cities area. BCLI participants meet face-to-face twice a month from October to April and are required to complete 80 hours of online assignments including readings, discussions, and webinars that cover three core curricula components:

1. Knowledge Foundation – In this curriculum, Fellows learn about economic development, health, housing, transit, and workforce development through applied trainings such as writing resolutions and designing a multi-modal road.

2. Technical Skills – This curriculum covers technical skills required by commissioners ranging from Robert’s Rules of Order and messaging and media.

3. Political Skills – This curriculum allows fellows to hone their political skills through negotiation, persuasion, and leadership style trainings.

The Boards and Commissions Leadership Institute is facilitated by Nexus Community Partners, an organization whose mission is to build more engaged and powerful communities of color by supporting community-building initiatives that expand community assets and foster social and human capital.

http://nexuscp.org/

BP22 (2.3.1): Calgary (Alberta) Economic Development Talent Marketing Seeking to assist regional employers with talent development and attraction, Calgary Economic Development works in partnership with businesses, post-secondary education, government, and industry stakeholders in the implementation of four core workforce management functions:

1. Labor attraction support

• Calgary Economic Development’s marketing campaign, Calgary. Be Part of the Energy, is aimed at attracting the best and brightest to Calgary to make a living and make a life.

• In addition, Calgary Economic Development works with the local workforce and human resources community to provide information, tools, research, and networking opportunities to ensure employers are set up for success in their recruitment and retention efforts.

2. Information on moving to Calgary

• Life in Calgary (http://www.lifeincalgary.ca/) is a talent-focused website that offers support for people considering relocation to the city as well as recent arrivals. The website provides information important to new and prospective residents’ transition to the city such as choosing a neighborhood, obtaining a driver’s license, and selecting an educational institution for their children.

3. Employer best practices

• Through a series of best practices forums, programming and information, Calgary Economic Development shares information to assist employers with the development of effective talent attraction, development, and retention strategies.

http://nexuscp.org/



Calgary Economic Development is a not-for-profit organization funded by the City of Calgary, community partners, and other orders of government and the private sector through the Action Calgary Program – a corporate partnership program that engages visionary business leaders.

http://www.bepartoftheenergy.ca/

BP23 (2.4.2): TYPros Tulsa (OK) Tulsa’s Young Professionals (TYPros) was founded by the Tulsa Metro Chamber in 2003 in response to the region’s “brain drain” of new graduates and young professionals to other cities and states. TYPros has since grown to more than 8,000 members. To ensure that the group was maturing into an active facilitator of community change, TYPros developed “work crews” allowing young professionals to have a collective voice and impact on a number of community concerns and initiatives. TYPros work crews are issue-focused and include: Business Development; Colleges & Universities; Community Ambassadors: Community Redevelopment: Diversity; Government Relations; Next Generation Leadership; Special Events: and Sustainability. The Government Relations Crew has organized legislative days in which they rent buses and take a large consistency of young professionals to the state capital for a day of meetings with state representatives from the region. TYPros also launched and runs its own small-business incubator called The Forge.

http://www.typros.org/

BP24 (3.1.1): We Don’t Coast (Omaha, NE)

Though it is not exclusively an internal brand, the We Don’t Coast initiative in Omaha was nevertheless intended to serve both an external and internal awareness-building purpose to positively commute the attractiveness and distinctiveness of the greater Omaha region. Largely to overcome Omaha’s “flyover” community perception, the Greater Omaha Chamber launched a regional brand and image initiative based upon extensive research showing that Omaha ranks highly against other metro areas across the country but lacked an identity. The Chamber convened thousands to create a cohesive, recognizable brand that sought to communicate the region’s attributes, character and “can do” spirit. We Don’t Coast was launched as a multi-faceted campaign to use across the region to share greater Omaha’s story; positively communicate its character; and grow, retain, and attract business and talent. The campaign was presented a 2015 ACE: Award of Excellence by the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives.

http://wedontcoast.com/

BP25 (3.2.2): Social Venture Partners (Seattle, WA)

Social Venture Partners is a global network of philanthropists that share a common interest in philanthropy and support for the non-profit organizations that are vital to communities across the world. The SVP model was first launched in Seattle, Washington with a vision that positioned the organization as a philanthropic community that borrowed from venture capital practices and made investments of money and other resources into nonprofit organizations with the goal of developing their capacity and sustainability. The SVP network is over 3,000 people strong in 39 cities and eight different countries. Since 1997, the SVP

http://www.bepartoftheenergy.ca/

http://www.typros.org/

http://wedontcoast.com/



network has worked with more than 700 nonprofits and contributed more than $54 million and hundreds of thousands of hours of support to nonprofit organizations across the world.

http://www.socialventurepartners.org/

BP26 (3.2.3): Local Government Collaboration Project (Greater Des Moines) Members of the Greater Des Moines Capital Crossroads strategy’s Governance implementation committee decided they wanted to create sustainable systems and processes for collaboration across governments for multiple program and project opportunities. After the initial inventory and discussion process, the committee drilled their work down to the identification and advancement of government collaboration opportunities. The result of this effort was the Local Government Collaboration Project, a non-binding agreement between 15 cities and three counties in Central Iowa to formalize a process for collaboration and process consolidation based on opportunities for reducing costs, redundancies, complexity, and time commitments. Seventeen local governments signed a resolution in support of the Project, agreeing to meet and discuss collaboration opportunities that arise after particular “trigger” events.

Two operational areas – Public Works and Fire/EMS – were selected to launch the work of the Collaboration Project. From these categories, four pilot projects were chosen to advance the Project and prove its value. Volunteer teams were created to oversee initiatives in Right of Way; Debris Management; Fire/EMS Officer Development and Training; and Unified Codes. The work of the Unified Code team effort has evolved into the Central Iowa Code Consortium, a collaborative effort between all participating communities to review code changes, recommend changes to these codes, and produce a metro “model” code for all communities to consider through their local code adoption process.

http://www.capitalcrossroadsvision.com/central-iowa-code-consortium/

BP27 (3.3.2): Greater Cleveland (OH) Regional Transit Authority

In 2014, the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority partnered with a number of other regional transit agencies in order to improve efficiency and better serve customers who use more than one system. Agreements were made with the Portage Area RTA, Stark Area RTA, and Akron METRO, all contiguous or adjacent to Cleveland’s Cuyahoga County. The agreements allow customers traveling on any of the partnering regional transit systems to ride on RTA at no additional charge. When a fare is paid on RTA for a customer’s return trip, they receive a credit when transferring to the other counties’ transit routes in the amount of the RTA fare paid.

http://www.riderta.com/fareagreements

BP28 (3.3.2): HealthLine Bus Rapid Transit (Cleveland, OH) The HealthLine is a rapid bus transit line run by the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority that first began operation in October 2008. The HealthLine features 24 hybrid-electric buses operate seven days a week, 24 hours a day in dedicated bus lanes along the HealthLine’s 6.8 mile route. The HealthLine’s ridership in 2014 topped 5 million customers, a 4.7 percent increase over 2013. In 2013, the HealthLine was named the Best Bus Rapid Transit in North America by the Institute for Transportation & Development Policy, and was recognized for having the best return on investment for a transit project, regardless of

http://www.socialventurepartners.org/

http://www.capitalcrossroadsvision.com/central-iowa-code-consortium/

http://www.riderta.com/fareagreements



mode, in the country. The HealthLine has been credited with spurring more than $6 billion in economic development along Cleveland’s Euclid Corridor.

http://www.riderta.com/routes/healthline

BP29 (4.2.4): OneCommunity (Northeast Ohio) Unable to find a private-sector provider to partner with to procure super-high-speed internet connectivity, Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland and a number of other large, publicly funded regional institutions including hospital systems, the regional transit authority, public broadcasters, and others created their own gigabit fiber network. The network was incorporated as a nonprofit known as OneCommunity that sought out universities, schools, hospitals, local governments, and other large nonprofits as their initial customer base. Demand led to capital infusions necessary to expand into a $200 million fiber-optic network. Eventually, OneCommunity found an investor that understood the complexity of the non-profit network and also how they could receive a healthy rate of return. The resulting partnership, branded as Everstream, shares infrastructure and support teams with OneCommunity to provide over 2,500 miles of fiber connectivity across a 34-county region at 10 gigabit speeds.

http://www.onecommunity.org/

BP30 (4.3.1): Metro Indianapolis Export Plan (Indianapolis, IN) As part of the Global Cities Initiative, a joint project by the Brookings Institution and JP Morgan Chase, the Indy Chamber conducted extensive market research, regional business surveys, and in-person interviews to develop a regional plan to grow exports and develop a global strategy for economic development. The resulting export market analysis, assisted by Butler University and the Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, identified four objectives to support and grow the region’s exports:

1. Increase efficiencies in the Metro’s supply chain, focusing on logistics;

2. Increase number of exporting companies by 20 percent by 2020;

3. Reduce transportation costs for Metro Indy firms; and

4. Increase international awareness and build a global reputation.

http://www.indychamber.com/economic-development/major-initiatives/global-cities-exchange-initiative/export/

BP31 (4.3.2): Twin Cities (MN) Area Economic Gardening Partnership The Partnership is a collaboration between the Edward Lowe Foundation, the National Center for Economic Gardening, and the City of Saint Paul and Ramsey County designed to support existing businesses well-positioned for growth by providing strategic research assistance to participating firms. Unlike traditional BRE efforts, the Partnership focuses its efforts on helping businesses develop new markets, refine business models, and gain access to competitive intelligence. Eligible businesses have between 10 and 99 employees and revenue between $1 and $5 million. Expanded from a pilot project implemented by Hennepin (Minneapolis) County, the Partnership includes the counties of Hennepin, Carver, Anoka, Scott and Ramsey; together they provide:

http://www.riderta.com/routes/healthline

http://www.onecommunity.org/





• Custom Research: Forty hours per chief operating officer (COO) of four “pods” of 15 selected core companies (for a total of 60 companies)

• CEO Round Table Sessions: Eight half-day sessions for the CEOs of the 60 selected core companies

• CEO Forum Events: Four sessions for CEOs of up to 100 companies per session

Forty-five companies across the Twin Cities metro region are selected to participate in the eight month economic gardening program.

http://www.stpaul.gov/index.aspx?nid=5509

BP32 (4.3.3): Evergreen Cooperative (Cleveland, OH) The Evergreen Cooperatives of Cleveland is an initiative championed by a conglomeration of Cleveland-based institutions (including the Cleveland Foundation, the Cleveland Clinic, University Hospitals, Case Western Reserve University, and the municipal government) who work together in order to create living wage jobs in six low-income neighborhoods known as Greater University Circle. Five key strategic pillars drive the Evergreen Cooperative’s mission:

1. Leverage a portion of the multi-billion dollar annual business expenditures of anchor institutions into the surrounding neighborhoods;

2. Establish a robust network of Evergreen Cooperative enterprises based on community wealth building and ownership models designed to service these institutional needs;

3. Build on the growing momentum to create environmentally sustainable energy and green collar jobs;

4. Link the entire effort to expanding sectors of the economy, many of which are recipients of large-scale public investment; and

5. Develop the financing and management capacities that can take this effort to scale.

Evergreen Cooperatives of Cleveland currently operates three business lines: Evergreen Cooperative Laundry, GreenCity Growers Cooperative, and Evergreen Energy Solutions.

http://evergreencooperatives.com/

BP33 (4.4.1): Greenhouse (St. Petersburg, FL)

As a partnership between the St Petersburg Area Chamber of Commerce and the City of St. Petersburg, Greenhouse is a one-stop shop facility for starting or growing local St. Petersburg businesses. Greenhouse provides a diverse array of services including business counseling, training, networking, specialized assistance, and access to start-up capital. Greenhouse acts as St. Petersburg’s entrepreneurial center of gravity, leveraging a broad support network to ultimately benefit local entrepreneurs. Through its partnership with the Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE) and ASPEC (Academy of Senior Professionals at Eckerd College), entrepreneurs receive one-on-one mentorship programs and in-house office hours to ensure their business is on the path to success. Greenhouse has also become the go-to location for entrepreneurial events and networking in St. Petersburg and, increasingly, the greater Tampa Bay region.

http://stpetegreenhouse.org/

http://www.stpaul.gov/index.aspx?nid=5509

http://evergreencooperatives.com/

http://stpetegreenhouse.org/



BP34 (4.4.3): Techstars Mobility (Detroit, MI)

Techstars Mobility is a Detroit-based accelerator program operated by the Techstars Foundation. Techstars Mobility is focused on the rapidly changing mobility and transportation industry and seeks to assist and develop an ecosystem of software, hardware, and advanced materials businesses building technologies that will power the efficient movement of people, goods, and services across the transportation sector. In 2015, Techstars Mobility announced its first class of Techstars Mobility companies. To assist the first class of ten companies, Techstars Mobility has partnered with six global corporations with mobility expertise including the Ford Motor Company, Magna International, Verizon Telematics, Dana Holding Corporation, Honda R&D Americas, and McDonald’s. Along with these six companies, Techstars Mobility has also assembled 150 mobility experts and investors to mentor these companies and provide seed funding.

http://www.techstars.com/programs/mobility-program/

BP35 (4.5.2): North Carolina Research Campus (Kannapolis, NC) The North Carolina Research Campus is a 350-acre research center located outside of Charlotte, North Carolina. The Research Campus is the result of a public and private partnership dedicated to transforming human health, nutrition, and agriculture by advancing the boundaries of research and development; addressing human disease through new approaches to prevention and treatment, educating the next generation of scientists and medical professionals, and driving the local economy. Research and product development at the Research Campus is interdisciplinary with a strong focus on collaboration. Eight North Carolina universities and a handful of corporations (such as Dole, General Mills, and Monsanto) are co-located at the Research Campus.

https://transforming-science.com/

http://www.techstars.com/programs/mobility-program/

https://transforming-science.com/

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