WASHINGTON, DC – The Pioneer Valley Planning Commission, based in Springfield, Massachusetts received a 2015 Innovation Award from the National Association of Development Organizations (NADO) Research Foundation for the The Pioneer Valley Plan for Progress 2015-2025.   

The Pioneer Valley Planning Commission (PVPC) worked with numerous business, civic and non-profit community leaders to develop the Pioneer Valley Plan for Progress: 2015-2025, a new comprehensive economic development strategy for the region. The PVPC orchestrated an innovative virtual rollout of the Plan that reached hundreds of stakeholders and interested individuals, calling for collaborative leadership to promote talent development, business growth, sustainable infrastructure, and civic engagement in the Pioneer Valley region. The Plan builds on the area’s many assets and accomplishments while simultaneously addressing the challenges, such as increasing the Pioneer Valley’s supply of educated, skilled workers by 6%, or approximately 25,000 workers, in 10 years.

The Plan can be viewed on the PVPC website at www.pvpc.org/plans/plan-for-progress. 

The Plan for Progress was rolled out in May 2015 through a wide variety of media, including public television, public radio, newspaper, business magazines, and social media (Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter). The PVPC partnered with WGBY-TV Channel 57 to create a series of public television episodes that were aired on the “Connecting Point” show. In addition, the new Plan was highlighted on WAMC public radio and in articles in BusinessWest, the Republican, and the Affiliated Chambers of Commerce of Greater Springfield newsletter. The WGBY shows are still available to view online at http://video.wgby.org/program/connecting-point/ (see May 4, 11 and 18 and June 1, 2015 episodes).

The process of creating and rolling out the Plan has brought together and renewed excitement among leaders from the region’s business community, education and workforce development, infrastructure and energy, private foundations and human service agencies, along with regional planning agencies, local government officials, and regional leadership programs. The investment and collaboration created by developing and working together to implement the Plan is itself a crucial ingredient in the region’s success. Building these relationships leads directly to new projects and stronger advocacy.

NADO is a Washington, DC-based association that promotes programs and policies that strengthen local governments, communities, and economies through regional cooperation, program delivery, and comprehensive strategies.  The association’s Innovation Awards program recognizes regional development organizations and partnering organizations for improving the economic and community competitiveness of our nation’s regions and local communities.  Award-winning projects were honored during NADO’s 2015 Annual Training Conference, held October 24-27 in New Orleans, LA. 

“For nearly 30 years, NADO’s Innovation Award has provided regional development organizations the opportunity to be recognized for their hard work and dedication to promoting economic development in rural and small metropolitan communities across the country. Building on the unique strengths and challenges of each region and community, award recipients continue to promote sustainable economic growth not only now, but for many years to come.  And I am pleased to announce that this year over 100 regional development organizations were selected to receive NADO’s 2015 Innovation Award,” said NADO 2014-2015 Board President Terry Bobrowski, Executive Director of the East Tennessee Development District in Alcoa, TN.

For more information about the award-winning project, contact Lori Tanner at the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission at (413) 781-6045.

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Since 1967 the National Association of Development Organizations (NADO) has provided advocacy, education, networking, and research for the national network of 540 regional development organizations. NADO members provide professional, programmatic and technical assistance to over 2,300 counties and 15,000 municipalities.