MADISON, Wis., May 9, 2013 – Thrive, the economic development partnership for the eight-county Madison Region, will host its annual State of the Region Summit on Thursday, May 23.
The Summit will focus on Thrive’s Advance Now Strategy, the five-year plan for driving economic growth in the region that includes Columbia, Dane, Dodge, Green, Iowa, Jefferson, Sauk and Rock counties.
Thrive spearheaded the development of the Advance Now Strategy to spur the region’s economic growth through a comprehensive blueprint for economic development in 2013-2017. After a development process that included significant research and public input, Thrive unveiled the strategy with its five interrelated goal areas: economic competitiveness, human capital, innovation and entrepreneurship, marketing, and regional cooperation, leadership and diversity.
Thrive has convened leaders from the region into workgroups for each of the five goals. These workgroups are helping steer strategy implementation and providing key recommendations to Thrive. One of the main features of the Summit will be a report by workgroup co-chairs on their respective workgroup’s accomplishments and recommendations. The continuing efforts of the workgroups are essential to the success of the Advance Now Strategy and the economic vibrancy of the Madison Region.
Business, economic development, and community leaders from the across the region also will hear speakers that include:
– Thrive President Paul Jadin, who will share his vision for the Madison Region and Thrive in its continued execution of the Advance Now Strategy.
– Gary Farmer, the immediate past chairman of Opportunity Austin, the regional economic development strategy that drove the tremendous revitalization of that Texas region’s economy. Austin last month maintained the No. 1 ranking in the Business Journals’ monthly analysis of the economic health of major metropolitan areas.
– Mac Holladay, a dynamic, nationally recognized economic development consultant who has worked with communities throughout the country and drove the process that developed the Madison Region’s Advance Now Strategy.
The Summit will be held on May 23 at the Madison Marriott West, 1313 John Q Hammons Dr., Middleton, from 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. A reception will be held at the conclusion of the business meeting. Registration is free and is being taken at Thrive’s website.
