SPOAKNE, WA-Rich Hadley, President of the Spokane Area Chamber of Commerce, has been elected Chairman-elect of the American Chamber of Commerce Executives. Rich has been very effective in creating Strategic Alliances to advance the New Century Plan for Spokane. See our February 10, 1999 report on the creation of the Spokane Regional Business Center and July 1999 report on four Strategic Alliances for education.

RICHMOND, VA-Jim Dunn, President of the Greater Richmond Chamber of Commerce, received the 1999 Richmond Region Leadership Award. Dunn was praised for "his tireless dedication to many positive initiatives, both public and private, that have fostered increased regional cooperation" and he was described as a "quietly effective person who has gained the confidence of the entire community" and "a major force in the progress that our region has made in recent years". Several Richmond projects were described in our May-June 1999 and March 16,1999 reports.

MEMPHIS, TN-The municipal utility, Memphis Light, Gas and Water, is proposing to create a $100 million fiber-optic network that will facilitate the opportunity for other communication providers to operate in Shelby County, TN.

HAMPTON ROADS, VA-The HRPDC has proposed transportation projects costing $7.4 billion over the next 20 years. Hampton Roads, with 1.6 million population, is the 4^th largest MSA in the southeast after Atlanta, Miami and Tampa.

LAKELAND, FL-The Polk County Clerk of the Circuit Court has received an award recognizing efforts to enhance workplace diversity. This helps meet the Vision Key Benchmark of achieving harmony.

LAKELAND, FL-The Lakeland Library System received a $28,000 grant of computers and software from the Gates Learning Foundation. They also exercised an option to buy an additional $32,000 of computers and software at reduced prices.

THE GULF COAST –Chambers of Commerce from New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Biloxi/Gulfport, Mobile and Pensacola recently met to discuss how the I-10 Corridor communities between Louisiana and Florida could work together as a region. A follow-up meeting has been scheduled for November 15^th.

AUSTIN, TX-The Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts produces the "Texas Innovator" monthly newsletter. It is produced by a team of "scanners" who scour a wide array of media, looking for ideas that can help produce paychecks and jobs, limited government and unlimited opportunity. You can get a free subscription by calling 1-800-531-5441 Ext. 3-4900 or at www.window.state.tx.us.

HARRISBURG, PA-The Susuehanna Alliance has agreed to reorganize and change its name. Board Chairman, Robert Dietz said, "By restructuring the Alliance, changing our name, and using the ENVISION document to establish a common program of work for our departments, we can become a more effective force in shaping our region into the millennium and beyond." The reorganization is in part an outgrowth of a visit that business and government leaders made to Richmond, VA in May 1999 as a part of the ENVISION process.

HAMPTON ROADS, VA-The Hampton Roads MSA continues to build its brand/identity with a state of Virginia vehicle license plate. The plate features the Hampton Roads Flag and is a project of the Leadership Hampton Roads class of 1999.

E-MAIL- We have established a listserver for individuals actively involved in the Collaborative Implementation of Vision Driven Strategic Planning. You may subscribe by clicking on lukevisionbenchmark-subscribe@onelist.com. If an e-mail form comes up, just send it blank from the computer with the e-mail address you want to activate. If you have a problem, e-mail us at mail@lukevision.com. This is a community where all the members are approved by the moderator and one where you can un-subscribe at your initiative. We encourage your subscribing and receiving the benefits from sharing with your peers in the process.

CHARLOTTE, NC-Process Managers from Asheville, Wilkes, and Union, NC are contemplating a meeting to review and share implementation experiences in January 2000. Similar meetings have occurred with the Harrisburg and Schuylkill, PA Process Managers.

RECENT IMPLEMENTATION MEETINGS

Thank you!

Henry Luke

Past reports beginning with January 1999 can be reviewed by choosing one of the links below.

  to view the PDF format, you will need this free download from Adobe if you do not already have it.

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