A research park, on-line since 1997, provides the ideal high-tech complement to a stable manufacturing base. Multinational companies abound, giving us the Carolina's largest concentration of international investment

A creative, fertile environment nurtures small businesses. A training resource and an information bank make our success rate the region's highest Plus job training to mainstream our youth into productive work roles. The last of the barriers to full_ employment have been removed, and all citizens are employed to their maximum potential. As a result, our median household income equals or exceeds the national average. Quality child care facilities are available to all.

Our growth has been reinforced by an improved infrastructure for Donaldson Industrial Center and adherence to the County's land use plan. The Palmetto International Exposition Center is one of the finest of its kind in the Southeast. That, plus the Upstate Coliseum and a four star resort, have dramatically enhanced our share of the state's convention and tourism dollars.

Today, education, human services, parks and recreation and the arts receive priority one. Public parks abound, and drainways have become greenways. The Reedy River Walk is a favorite choice for residents and visitors alike who enjoy wandering among entertainers, artists and vendors.

Downtown alive! Arts and entertainment flourish amidst Riverplace where The Performing Arts Center serves as a model for the MidSouth. With the Camperdown Bridge only a distant memory and the Festival Marketplace an exciting reality, Downtown Alive is more than a slogan-it is a planned, working environment of exemplary focus and energy.

Our nationally acclaimed Freedom Weekend Aloft has long since had its permanent site. Roper Mountain Science Center draws visitors from afar, and beyond the suburban limits, designated wilderness areas in the county deepen our appreciation of nature's bountiful gifts in the Upstate.

Our county schools are national models with a broad student mix and the lowest drop-out rate in the Southeast Internships in all work sectors are provided for top high school and college students. A year-round state supported school for the arts.

An expanded public library system makes its mark throughout the county. Now, with the tax base on target, quality education is in place and delivering on its promises. Compensation and working conditions are such that Greenville is first choice among top notch teachers and educators,

Clemson ranks among the nation's top twenty in research. In 1987, none of the top fifty were in the South. Greenville TEC welds business and education into a vital link in the growth chain, opening the door for economic opportunities and personal growth.

Furman University has long since secured its position as one of the nation's premier liberal arts institutions. Today, through the strengths of its member institutions, Greenville University, a consortium of our public and private colleges and universities, adds dimension to learning and personal fulfillment

A public-private commitment to low cost housing has turned the sub-standard urban areas of the late 20th century into inner city neighborhoods that are affordable and sate. Middle income individuals can choose from a number of options to meet their housing needs.

Our rates of illiteracy, teenage pregnancy, child abuse and drug abuse are the lowest of any urban area in the Carolinas. Human services delivery systems are coordinated to prevent duplication. Greenville has fulfilled its earlier promise of a mega-center for healthcare facilities. As a result, child care and services for the disadvantaged are readily accessible, high in quality and cost effective.

Clean and beautiful corridors lead into our urban areas. Beautification is a top priority across the board: streets, roadways, construction projects and the like. Underground utility lines enhance all major arteries and residential areas.

Implementation is proceeding or, a realistic, long term plan for historic preservation. When it comes to putting on our test face for the world, beauty is as beauty does, and Greenville does it better.

Strong family units, nurtured by a caring community, have generated a spirit of understanding and cooperation. One tangible sign that the plan is working: our crime rate is in the bottom ten percent of the nation.

A water and sewer service second to none is available to all developed-and developable areas throughout the county. An abundance of clean, pure water is there for our needs.

A regional sewer utility is in place, and an adequate drainage system serves the Upstate. Moreover, our vital heritage of streams and rivers has been greatly improved.

Long range planning plus adequate state and local funding for roads have helped us avoid traffic gridlock-even in high growth areas. A synchronized traffic signal system has increased capacity on all major arteries.

The perimeter highway proposed in the GRAT5 study is complete. I-85 is six-land, and Greenville and Greenwood are linked by a four lane highway. Equally important, road access to isolated county areas is improved.

The airport is a regional air hub with the state's best schedule of direct and connecting flights. Covered, second-level passenger loading is a reality. Both Greenville Municipal and Donaldson Center Airports have had their roles defined and their goals are being realized.

A comprehensive transportation system is in place to serve the optimum number of our count, residents.

Dependable fire protection is a phone call away for residents and businesses throughout the county. A regional health system and rescue system plus EMS and emergency preparedness are on line, around the county, around the clock

As a result, we are-and are perceived to be one of the top five places to live in the Southeast Our choosing an enduring marketable identity helped knit the region together.

All people are woven into the fabric of community life regardless of race, gender, national origin, or social status. The word minority has passed from our daily vocabulary. As a result, whether in business, professions, the arts and community leadership-one fact remains paramount: We are many. We are one.

The vigor of the United Way and the Community Foundation are but one sign that Greenville is a caring kind of place. But the act of giving is not dictated by formal programs as much as by the charitable sense of the citizenry at large who have come to understand one simple truth: To give a gift is to receive a gift.

The structure has been strengthened by a shift in decision-making responsibility from state to local communities. Home rule is a reality. With the relaxation of state annexation laws, our county's municipalities have experienced orderly growth along with a consolidation of more government services.

A revised charter now provides a combination of single member districts and at-large seats in all local governments. Non-partisan elections are now the rule, not the exception. Both city and county residents share equitably in the cost of government services.

Alternative revenue sources for local governments-such as the sales tax-have helped diversify our tax structure, now considered one of the fairest and most equitable in the Southeast

Greenville means not just the city or the county anymore-it embraces everyone. Regardless of who they represent or where they live or work, citizens and elected officials recognize and appreciate the needs of the entire region. Thinking, planning, doing-a sharing mindset helps us to more properly address infrastructure needs and provide other government services.

Eighty percent registration of eligible citizens- with seventy percent of those actually voting. A public-private council/forum has broadened the avenues of communication. Dialogue between the public and private sectors is positive and ongoing. Our local government now attracts the best leaders from among us.

A shared vision of what can be. The commitment that through unity this vision can be realized.

An informed electorate has brought tough minded, fair-minded leaders into office. As a result, their decisions-proactive rather than reactive-benefit the entire community. Priorities have meaning, and implementation takes place through a creative and progressive approach to getting the job done right.

Our approach to Advanced leadership training has become a national model. Training begins with our youth-internships and clerkships for promising students in business, the professions and the arts.

A leadership "bank," generates maximum utilization of leadership resources. Leadership Greenville is but one of many elements fueling the forward thrust of community training. Our new leaders represent a broad consensus of issues, communities and backgrounds.

The only issue that really matters is Greenville itself!

Realizing that the only true poverty is a lack of the right sense of self, both individual citizens and groups share a bold, vigorous vision of what can be. And to make that happen, a strong can do attitude prevails throughout

We confront the challenge of change with a clear-minded view of tomorrow, plus one governing maxim that overrules all others. We will work for and accept nothing less than the best-for each of us ... and for all of us.