April 2007 update: The Voices & Choices civic engagement process has moved toward action on regional priorities with the creation of Advance Northeast Ohio. One 2007 initiative that could have far-reaching implications is a study of tax revenue sharing by the Northeast Ohio Mayors and City Managers Association.

The 15 counties of Northeast Ohio are home to more than 4 million people, making the region larger in population than 23 states. Our regional economy is greater than many small countries and employs one-third of all workers in the state of Ohio. Together, thinking and acting as a region, Northeast Ohio can be a collective force to be reckoned with in the global economy.

A new vision for regional economic development

Northeast Ohio is blessed with a legacy of philanthropic resources — local foundations endowed with wealth generated mostly during the region's industrial glory days. Today, these foundations have grown increasingly alarmed to see the region's wealth slipping away. They have observed:

• A steady erosion of economic vitality and good jobs.
• A lack of educational attainment and innovation needed to succeed in the new economy.
• The inability of communities Northeast to come together as a region to compete globally with other metropolitan regions.

In response, 80 philanthropic organizations in Northeast Ohio have formed the Fund for Our Economic Future, a collaboration launched in 2004 to advance an agenda for regional economic transformation. The fund has a three-tiered approach — grant making, public engagement and ongoing research to measure economic progress throughout the region. The Fund and its members already have made million-dollar grants to a number of economic initiatives, such as NorTech, JumpStart, and Team NEO. And, in April 2006, the Fund released a "Dashboard" of indicators to monitor the region's economic performance.

But the biggest initiative of the Fund has been Voices & Choices, a 15-county civic engagement process to involve citizens in determining the region's agenda for economic transformation. Voices & Choices aims to educate the public about the economic realities facing Northeast Ohio in order to foster a more positive attitude about the future and to ensure that collective priorities are based on the region's actual economic situation. Hundreds of thousands of people will learn about regional issues through media coverage, educational programs and the Web. Tens of thousands will take part in town meetings and public forums about the region's future, where they will hear from experts and learn from fellow residents. The hope is that knowledge about the Northeast Ohio region will lead not only to optimism about the future, but also to a shared sense of regional identity and a collective sense of destiny.

At the end of the 18-month public engagement, Voices & Choices will produce an action agenda based on the informed priorities of tens of thousands of people across the region. As of May 2006, the agenda is focusing on six challenge areas:

• Inequitable public school funding
• Government fragmentation and inefficiency
• Creating a 21st century workforce
• Racial isolation and income inequalities
• Uncompetitive business environment
• Quality, connected communities

At every step of the way, Voices & Choices also will be working with political, business, and community leaders to ensure that they are fully on board and ready to act on the agenda that emerges. Once the agenda is set, these leaders, as well as interested citizens who participated in the deliberations, will work with Voices & Choices to implement the agenda. Presumably, this implementation will be supported by all the local foundations who have been involved.

What are you hearing about Voices & Choices and Advance Northeast Ohio? Do you think that principles of sustainability are being incorporated adequately into the discussions?

Voices & Choices (Phase I) Outcomes
Advance Northeast Ohio Action plan

Other examples of regional thinking
Greater Dayton Declaration of Interdependence