For 26 years, NADO’s Annual Innovation Award program has honored members who have had significant and positive impacts on their regions through innovative approaches to problem solving and program delivery.  We are pleased to announce that the 2012 slate of awardees includes 64 impressive projects representing 52 NADO members from 22 states!  Click here to view the full list (PDF).

NADO congratulates the 2012 Innovation Award-winning projects.  This annual awards program acknowledges creative approaches to regional community and economic development throughout the nation.  The winning projects represent the innovative and strategic approaches that regional councils are employing to strengthen and enhance their regions.  We applaud their efforts and impact!

The projects will be recognized during NADO’s 2012 Annual Training Conference, to be held October 13-16, 2012 in Las Vegas, Nevada.  For more information, visit www.nado.org or contact NADO Deputy Executive Director Laurie Thompson at 202.624.5948 or [email protected].

ALABAMA

Regional Planning Commission of Greater Birmingham, Birmingham Region Accounts Receivable Lending Program

The Top of Alabama Regional Council of Governments, The Alabama Consolidated Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy: A Prospectus for Sustainable Economic Prosperity

ARIZONA

Northern Arizona Council of Governments, Statewide Energy Sector Partnership (SESP)

ARKANSAS

Southwest Arkansas Planning and Development District, Use of Comprehensive GIS Data in Disaster Recovery

CALIFORNIA

Sonoma County Economic Development Board, State of the County Breakfast

FLORIDA

Central Florida Regional Planning Council, Preparing for the Future in the Heartland:  Regional Land Use and Affordable Housing

North Central Florida Regional Planning Council, North Central Florida Strategic Regional Policy Plan

North Central Florida Regional Planning Council, North Central Florida Economic and Disaster Resiliency Study

GEORGIA

CSRA Regional Commission, Picture Grovetown Urban Redevelopment Plan

Georgia Mountains Regional Commission, Ty Cobb Regional Medical Center

Middle Georgia Regional Commission, Georgia Economic Development Fiscal Impact Model

Southern Georgia Regional Commission, CoPRS Comprehensive Police Reporting System

IOWA

East Central Iowa Council of Governments, Linn County’s City/County Strategic Growth Plans and Fringe-Area Agreements

East Central Intergovernmental Association, Dubuque Smart Travel

KENTUCKY

Bluegrass Area Development District, Tool Set for Inventory and Maintenance of Retro Reflectivity Signs

Bluegrass Area Development District, The Bluegrass Help-At-Home Worker Registry

Buffalo Trace Area Development District, Increased Training for Regional Advancements in Nursing (I-Train)

Green River Area Development District, Stop Senior Hunger

Lake Cumberland Area Development District, Houseboat to Energy Efficient Residences(HBEER)

Pennyrile Area Development District, Greenville Downtown Revitalization Project

Purchase Area Development District, Emergency Preparedness Backpacks for Child Care Centers

MICHIGAN

Northwest Michigan Council of Governments, Placemaking in Northern Michigan

MINNESOTA

Arrowhead Regional Development Commission, Northern Aero Alliance

Mid-Minnesota Development Commission, City of Willmar Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan

MISSISSIPPI

Central Mississippi Planning and Development District, City of Magee’s Innovative Way to Attract Economic Development and Create New Job Opportunities

East Central Planning and Development District, Lauderdale County Call Center Project

East Central Planning and Development District, Town of Pachuta Senior Citizen Center

Northeast Mississippi Planning & Development District, Dennen Steel/Yellow Creek Industrial Port Authority Improvements

South Delta Planning and Development District, Mobile Outreach Skills Training (MOST)

Three Rivers Planning and Development District, Three Rivers Regional Emergency Notification System

MISSOURI

Boonslick Regional Planning Commission, Village of Silex, Missouri Community Relocation Project

Missouri Association of Councils of Government, Multi-Jurisdictional Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan for Missouri’s Electric Cooperatives

Missouri Association of Councils of Government, Missouri Watershed Planning and Wastewater Study

MONTANA

Great Falls Development Authority, West Bank Redevelopment Project

Great Falls Development Authority, Montana Eggs Expansion

NEVADA

Western Nevada Development District, SET/CEDS Development in WNDD Region

NORTH CAROLINA

Kerr-Tar Regional Council of Governments, Triangle Worksource

Land-of-Sky Regional Council, WNC Forest Products Cooperative Marketing Project

Mid-East Commission, Beaufort County Resource Connection (BCRC)

Mid-East Commission, Aquifer Strorage and Recovery Project

Piedmont Triad Regional Council, Advanced Manufacturing Academy

Piedmont Triad Regional Council, Forsyth County Real World Event

Western Piedmont Council of Governments, Student Growth Estimation Models for the Catawba County School System

Western Piedmont Council of Governments, Future Workforce Alliance: A Partnership for Education and Economic Progress

OREGON

Northeast Oregon Economic Development District, Microenterprise Development – IDAs and Business Education

South Central Oregon Economic Development District, SCOEDD Woodstove Replacement Program

PENNSYLVANIA

North Central Pennsylvania Regional Planning and Development Commission, North Central Pennsylvania Patnership for Regional Economic Performance

SOUTH CAROLINA

Berkeley-Charleston-Dorchester Council of Governments, Workforce Training Collaboration

Lower Savannah Council of Governments, Eastern Orangeburg County Sustainability Study

SC Appalachian Council of Governments, Upstate Aging & Disability Resource Center Website – A statewide template for South Carolina

TENNESSEE

First Tennessee Development District, Northeast Tennessee Neighborhood Stabilization Project

Southwest Tennessee Development District, REDI College Access Program

TEXAS

Capital Area Council of Governments, Pecan Street Innovation Cluster

Lower Rio Grande Valley Development Council, Regional Economic Adjustment Plan for Building Disaster Resilient Communities (Regional EAP)

South Plains Association of Governments, Built to Weather Any West Texas Storm

South Plains Association of Governments, Today’s Kids Under Attack

Texoma Council of Governments, Texoma Regional Economic Dashboard

Texoma Council of Governments, Texoma Council of Governments Economic Impact Statement

VIRGINIA

LENOWISCO Planning District Commission, Appalachian Prosperity Project – A Collaborative Model for Advancing Education, Health, and Economic Prosperity in Southwest Virginia

New River Valley Planning District Commission, BUILT NRV

Roanoke Valley-Alleghany Regional Commission, Save-A-Ton

Roanoke Valley-Alleghany Regional Commission, Roanoke Valley-Alleghany Regional Economic Development Map Tool

WISCONSIN

North Central Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission, Wood Technology Center of Excellence

North Central Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission, Community Economic Recovery Guidebook