WASHINGTON, D.C. — Mid-Columbia Economic Development District (MCEDD) based in The Dalles, has received a 2022 Aliceann Wohlbruck Impact Award from the National Association of Development Organizations (NADO) for the 2022 Columbia Gorge Economic Development Strategy.
The strategy was developed over seven public sessions in 2021 that involved over 100 key partners across MCEDD’s five-county region, a press release said. The process also included targeted outreach through focus groups to the Native American and Latino/a/Hispanic communities to make sure the final product included outcomes to improve the economic wellbeing of all residents in the Mid-Columbia region. The strategy was approved by the MCEDD Board of Directors in March 2022 and sets a five-year plan of action to achieve a vision outlined through four goal areas: Strong Businesses, Robust Workforce, Resilient Infrastructure, Powerful Collaboration. The Strategy is found online at GorgeEconomy.org. For the in-depth regional process and the Strategy’s focus on resiliency and equitable outcomes especially, NADO made this award.
NADO is a Washington, D.C.-based membership association of regional development organizations that promotes programs and policies that strengthen local governments, communities, and economies through regional cooperation, program delivery, and comprehensive strategies. The Impact Awards program recognizes regional development organizations and their partners for improving the economic and community competitiveness of our nation’s regions and local communities.
Award-winning projects were recognized during NADO’s 2022 Annual Training Conference, held in Pittsburgh on Oct. 15-18. The 2022 class of award recipients consists of 107 projects from 71 organizations spanning 28 states. These projects are presented in an interactive “Story Map” developed by NADO that includes project summaries, partners, and images.
“Regional development organizations and their partners have played an integral role in supporting local communities during this important time of economic recovery,” said 2021-2022 NADO President Misty Crosby, former executive director of the Buckeye Hills Regional Council, located in Marietta, Ohio. “This year’s Impact Awards recipients demonstrate the many ways our member organizations serve their communities by promoting economic development, fostering resilience, and improving quality of life for residents.”
The NADO Impact Awards are presented in honor of the late Aliceann Wohlbruck, who was NADO’s first executive director and served 24 years as a tireless champion for regional approaches to economic development in rural communities, said a press release.
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