We asked the people chairing the Vision for the Valley working groups to provide a progress report on their work. Here are summaries from the groups.
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March 29, 2009
Educational opportunity
Chair: Kelly Wood, Wachovia
Never has education been more important than today. Building blocks include:
• A vibrant research effort supporting the business community.
• A retraining structure to respond to a changing business environment.
• A culture where families value education and student excellence.
• A partnership with business, where future needs of our business community are aligned with education programs.
• A community that celebrates academic achievement.
• And, most importantly, passionate appreciation for our educators.
Strong neighborhoods
Committee member: Elliot Werk, Idaho state senator
We are developing a list of community-building events throughout the Valley that can be promoted by local government and civic organizations. These events include National Night Out, Spring Clean, Paint the Town, Rake up, Movie Night at a Park, library events, dinner and a book, and neighborhood festivals. We are also developing a detailed list of organizations, groups and local governments that can efficiently leverage existing resources. In the longer term, we are seeking ways for local governments and non-governmental organizations to work together and engage in community-building activities.
A charitable climate
Chair: Craig Tribken, Boise Valley Habitat for Humanity
The Valley’s charitable climate is characterized by too many nonprofits, a low per-capita giving rate and a nonprofit sector picking up much of the slack for what often is a government responsibility.
Our long-term goal is a “social contract” that will encourage a more systematic scorecard that clearly demonstrates and promotes the efforts of business, media and donors. When a new business is recruited to come to Boise, its willingness to contribute to local charitable efforts should be equal to other existing businesses in the Valley.
A charitable climate
Chair: Craig Tribken, Boise Valley Habitat for Humanity
The Valley’s charitable climate is characterized by too many nonprofits, a low per-capita giving rate and a nonprofit sector picking up much of the slack for what often is a government responsibility.
Our long-term goal is a “social contract” that will encourage a more systematic scorecard that clearly demonstrates and promotes the efforts of business, media and donors. When a new business is recruited to come to Boise, its willingness to contribute to local charitable efforts should be equal to other existing businesses in the Valley.
A caring community
Co-chair: Bev Harad, former Boise School Board member
This committee envisions a caring Treasure Valley that respects diversity and encourages an inclusive and welcoming community.
We will identify criteria contributing to a sense of belonging and uncover barriers keeping us apart by facilitating focus groups representing Treasure Valley religions; ethnicities; refugee population; the economically challenged; varying levels of formal education; lifetime disabilities; different sexual orientations; teen and senior citizen groups. For more information, contact bevharad@hotmail.com.
Training our workers
Chair: Ben Quintana, Boise Valley Economic Partnership
Our goal is to enhance the attraction and retention of jobs in the Treasure Valley by ensuring the region is equipped and prepared for the evolving work force requirements of the economy. We are focusing our efforts in the following areas:
• To develop an ongoing system of collaboration to train and prepare a diverse range of workers from targeted industries.
• To identify training needs from current and potential employers and develop solutions to put people to work.
• To ensure the Valley’s current and future work force is prepared, skilled and trained for jobs in our community.
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March 22, 2009
INVESTING IN MOBILITY
Chair: Rachel Winer, Idaho Smart Growth
We want to inspire people through successful transit projects, so we want to do our part to see a streetcar built in Boise. We want to use mobility to create communities by creating a Web-based resource for a “one-stop shopping” experience to find all the studies and information concerning mobility in the Valley, as well as a place for the community to share stories and inspire ideas about transportation choices. We want to show the face of mobility. We want to help people understand their options. We want an economic analysis explaining the benefits of an entire public transportation system — including bikes, buses and pedestrians.
CONSTRUCTIVE COLLABORATION
Co-chair: Susan Hayman, Enviro Issues
Do you play well with others? This group seeks to stimulate and model collaboration among non-profit, profit and governmental entities. To accomplish this, the work group intends to:
1) Identify the key factors and attributes of successful collaborations;
2) Identify barriers to success and how to overcome them;
3) Identify potential small-, medium- and large-scale pilot collaborations in the Valley.
E-mail shayman@enviroissues.com to share your collaboration story.
A STRONG ECONOMY
Chair: Tammy de Weerd, Meridian mayor
Working toward the vision of a strong economy necessitates, first and foremost, that we objectively evaluate our attractiveness as a region. We recognize that we must all work together toward diversifying and supporting our business community, targeting desired industry, in order to retain and create family-wage jobs. We are also reminded to support local business by buying locally! Also key to a strong economy are efforts in transportation, quality education, work force readiness, a healthy environment, and the other work group topics. We are all in this together.
A CREATIVE CULTURE
Co-chair: Brad Baughman, staff, Idaho state Senate
While struggling to blend our current economic limitations with our creative aspirations, we’re exploring the possibility of setting up an Arts and Business Council in the Treasure Valley. This would help engage and nurture relationships between the arts and business communities. Councils like these have been created across the nation. We would appreciate any interest or ideas.
ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP
Chair: Tim Breuer, Land Trust of the Treasure Valley
The group has identified sustainability as an overarching theme that touches all aspects of a desired future for the Treasure Valley. It also recognized that there are many initiatives underway that embrace sustainability. The working group envisions supporting these efforts and helping to spotlight the good work being done by groups throughout the Valley.
