Congratulations to the 2018 NADO Innovation Award Recipients

NADO Announces 2018 Innovation Award Recipients
in Honor of Aliceann Wohlbruck

Congratulations to the 2018 NADO Innovation Awards recipients!  Each year, the Innovation Awards program honors NADO members for their creative approaches to advancing regional community and economic development and improved quality of life.  These projects have made significant impacts on their regions and demonstrate the diversity of services and program delivery provided by regional development organizations across the country.  The 2018 class of award recipients consists of 90 projects spanning 24 states.

This year’s awards are presented in honor of Aliceann Wohlbruck, NADO’s first executive director

This year’s awards are presented in honor of Aliceann Wohlbruck, who passed away in March 2018.  Aliceann was NADO’s first executive director, serving 24 years as a tireless champion for regional approaches to economic development in rural communities.  She was a strong advocate for regional development organizations that serve primarily rural communities and regions.  Throughout the 1990s she played a major role in the efforts to reauthorize EDA, ARC, and DRA.  Aliceann was more than an executive director, she was also a friend and mentor to NADO members and staff.  Her hard work and determination built the foundation for the organization that exists today.  We honor Aliceann’s legacy with this year’s awards.

The award-winning projects will be recognized at a special reception during NADO’s 2018 Annual Training Conference, scheduled for October 13 – 16 in Charlotte, NC and are featured in an interactive online Story Map created by our partners at Esri.

Click here to learn the stories behind the award-winning projects in a Story Map created by our partners at Esri.  
Click to learn the stories behind the award-winning projects in a Story Map created by our partners at Esri.

For additional information, contact NADO Research Foundation Associate Director Brett Schwartz at [email protected].

Alaska

  • Southeast Conference, Southeast Alaska 2020 Economic Plan

Arkansas

  • Western Arkansas Planning & Development District, Tyson Foods Logan County Career Center

Arizona

  • Northern Arizona Council of Governments, NACOG Regional Strategic Highway Safety Study

California

  • Sonoma County Economic Development Board, #GoSoCo Shop Local

Colorado

  • Region 9 Economic Development District of SW Colorado, San Juan County Recovery Coordinator

Florida

  • Central Florida Regional Planning Council, Central Florida Regional Planning Council Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy
  • Central Florida Regional Planning Council & Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council, South Florida Avenue Complete Street Charrette and Master Plan
  • Central Florida Regional Planning Council / Heartland Regional Transportation Planning Organization, Highlands Transit Plan
  • East Central Florida Regional Planning Council, Orange County Food Production Strategic Plan
  • East Central Florida Regional Planning Council, West Lakes Health Impact Assessment
  • East Central Florida Regional Planning Council, Minton Road Town Center Mobility Plan
  • North Central Florida Regional Planning Council, North Central Florida Regional Hazardous Materials Response Team
  • Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council, Tampa Interstate Study Economic and Fiscal Impact Analysis
  • Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council, Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council Hazardous Materials Training Program 2018

Georgia

  • Coastal Regional Commission, Joint Addressing Ordinance and Manual
  • Coastal Regional Commission, Coastal Regional Commission Partnering for Jobs
  • Georgia Association of Regional Commissions, GARC Trails of Georgia Story Map
  • Georgia Association of Regional Commissions, Georgia LiDAR Program
  • Georgia Mountains Regional Commission, Atlanta Highway Corridor Study
  • Georgia Mountains Regional Commission, Diana Food Infrastructure Project
  • Georgia Mountains Regional Commission – Workforce Development, GED Career Pathways
  • Middle Georgia Regional Commission, Middle Georgia Parcel Work Order System (PWOS)
  • Middle Georgia Regional Commission, Macon-Bibb County, Georgia Tindall Fields Community
  • Northwest Georgia Regional Commission, Northwest Georgia Healthcare Initiative
  • Northwest Georgia Regional Commission, Northwest Georgia Rural Broadband Advisory Committee
  • River Valley Regional Commission, Montezuma Multi-Phase Infrastructure Improvements
  • River Valley Regional Commission, Reaching the Economic Potential for the River Valley Region
  • Southern Georgia Regional Commission, Southern Georgia Regional Commission’s Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
  • Southern Georgia Regional Commission, Downtown Tifton Pedestrian & Bicycle Connectivity Plan

Iowa

  • East Central Iowa Council of Governments, Cedar Rapids to Iowa City Express Bus
  • East Central Iowa Council of Governments, Indian Creek Soil Health Partnership

Kentucky

  • Purchase Area Development District, WAVE: Promoting Economic Development in West Kentucky’s River Counties

Louisiana

  • Acadiana Planning Commission, Acadiana Regional Watershed Initiative
  • South Central Planning and Development Commission, MyGovernmentOnline’s GPS and RFID Based Asset System

Maine

  • Northern Maine Development Commission, Aroostook County Tourism Social Media Marketing

Minnesota

  • Region Five Development Commission, The Good Life…for ALL!!!
  • Region Nine Development Commission, Rural Equity Project

Mississippi

  • Central Mississippi Planning and Development District, Yazoo City City Hall Renovation
  • East Central Planning and Development District, Biewer-Sawmill Infrastructure Improvements
  • East Central Planning and Development District, Meridian Velma Young Community Center
  • Northeast Mississippi Planning & Development District, Public Sewer Improvements
  • Northeast Mississippi Planning and Development District, Tishomingo County/G & G Steel, Inc. Building Expansion
  • Northeast Mississippi Planning and Development District, Hickory Flat Attendance Center Technology Improvements
  • South Delta Planning and Development District, Electrical Lineman Training Building
  • Southern Mississippi Planning and Development District, Sector Strategy Plan

Missouri

  • Boonslick Regional Planning Commission, Collaboration at its Best in Boonslick
  • Meramec Regional Planning Commission, Rehabilitation through Innovation
  • Southwest Missouri Council of Governments, Housing Inventory & Property Maintenance Code Review

North Carolina

  • Albemarle Commission, Northeastern Workforce Development Board’s NextGen Career Cafes
  • Kerr-Tar Regional Council of Governments, Pathways to Prosperity
  • Land of Sky Regional Council, WestNGN Broadband Initiative
  • Land of Sky Regional Council, The Asheville Terrace Community Health Worker Project
  • Land of Sky Regional Council, Upskill WNC
  • Piedmont Triad Regional Council, Triad Tomorrow – Building Our Communities For Tomorrow’s Jobs
  • Piedmont Triad Regional Council, Disc Golf: A Work-based Learning Initiative
  • Upper Coastal Plain Council of Governments, UCPCOG Regional Education Opportunity Facilities Program
  • Western Piedmont Council of Governments, Burke County Quality of Life Explorer
  • Western Piedmont Council of Governments, NEXTGen Hiring Event

 Oregon

  • Northeast Oregon Economic Development District, Advancing DEI in Northeast Oregon Non-Profits

Pennsylvania

  • North Central Pennsylvania Regional Planning and Development Commission, North Central 2045 Long Range Transportation Story Journal

South Carolina

  • Berkeley-Charleston-Dorchester Council of Governments, Hospitality on Peninsula (HOP)
  • Catawba Regional Council of Governments, 2018 Catawba Regional Housing Assessment
  • Catawba Regional Council of Governments, ARC/GIS Application Development for Local Governments
  • Lowcountry Council of Governments, Walterboro Works
  • Lower Savannah Council of Governments, Summer Youth Jumpstart Program
  • Lower Savannah Council of Governments, Dementia Dialogues®
  • Santee-Lynches Regional Council of Governments, Beating Blight: Sumter and Camden’s Neighborhood Initiative Program
  • Santee-Lynches Regional Council of Governments, Tomorrow Together: The City of Manning’s Comprehensive Plan
  • Upper Savannah Council of Governments, County and Municipal Clerks Training Workshops
  • Upper Savannah Council of Governments, Graduates Preparing for Success
  • Waccamaw Regional Council of Governments, Murrells Inlet Stormwater Demonstration Project
  • Waccamaw Regional Council of Governments, Working Wednesday

Tennessee

  • First Tennessee Development District, CareerQuest TN….It’s All About Business
  • Southwest Tennessee Development District, Strong Communities Program

Texas

  • Alamo Area Council of Governments, Military & Veterans Programs
  • Alamo Area Council of Governments, Regional Law Enforcement Academy Programs
  • Alamo Area Council of Governments, Intellectual & Developmental Disabilities Program
  • Capital Area Council of Governments, Disaster Resiliency & Recovery in the Texas Capital Area
  • Heart of Texas Council of Governments, Heart of Texas Regional Citizen Corps
  • Panhandle Regional Planning Commission, Potter County Strategic Plan

Virginia

  • New River Valley Regional Commission, Bus Stop Safety and Accessibility Studies
  • New River Valley Regional Commission, River Center Action Plan
  • Richmond Regional Planning District Commission, Pulse Corridor Planning
  • Richmond Regional Planning District Commission, Central Virginia Emergency Management Alliance Survivor Day
  • Roanoke Valley-Alleghany Regional Commission, Regional Study on Transportation Project Prioritization for Economic Development and Growth

Vermont

  • Lamoille County Planning Commission, The Boardwalk at Barnes Camp in Smugglers’ Notch, Stowe VT
  • Two Rivers-Ottauquechee Regional Commission, Tropical Storm Irene Flood Buyouts
  • Vermont Association of Planning and Development Agencies, Municipal Roads Grants In Aid Pilot Project

Washington

  • Benton-Franklin Council of Governments, Connell Rail Interchange

West Virginia 

  • Mid-Ohio Valley Regional Council, Apprenticeship Training Pilot Program

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2023 Impact Awards

The primary applicant must be a NADO member. Project partners, both NADO and non-members, can be recognized under "Project Partners" below.

Primary Project Contact:
This person will be the designated point of contact for all future awards-related correspondence and will receive the printed award certificates and other hardcopy materials should the project win an award.

Organization Address

Project Location (if different from Organization Address)

Executive Director

Additional Organizational Information
Please upload your organization's logo which will be included on the winning project award certificate.

Project Information
This title will be printed on the award certificate for winning projects and in all 2022 NADO Impact Award materials and cannot be changed.

Project Summary & Questions
Please craft clear, thoughtful, and engaging responses to the following questions. Use the following sections to tell us how your project has made an impact, such as its use of creative funding mechanisms, efforts to create efficiencies or reduce costs, unique partnership models, and emphasis on building resilience and/or enhancing your region's quality of life.

For award-winning projects, the information provided below may be used verbatim to inform project descriptions that will be published in the 2023 NADO Impact Awards materials and included on the NADO website.

Please submit at least one photo showing your project in action. Please keep file size to a minimum (<2Mb) and use JPEG format. If uploading multiple files, ZIP files prior to submitting. If you have trouble uploading images they can be directly emailed to Brett Schwartz at [email protected] Include the project title they correspond to in the subject line of your email.

Note: Submitted photos may be used in NADO Impact Awards materials and in other NADO published materials with credit to your organization. Please also consider submitting photos for NADO's 2023 Photo Contest, which will be held this summer.


CLICK THE LINK BELOW TO SUBMIT THE APPLICATION - PLEASE BE PATIENT! IF YOU DO NOT SEE A CONFIRMATION, YOUR APPLICATION WAS NOT RECEIVED.
Your application is not submitted until you are directed to a confirmation page. If you have any questions or are unsure if your application has been submitted, please contact Brett Schwartz at [email protected]

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Joe McKinney serves as Executive Director of the National Association of Development Organizations (NADO). Headquartered in Washington DC, NADO provides advocacy, education, research, and training for the nation’s 500+ regional planning and development organizations.

Joe has thirty-one years of experience having served in city, county, regional, national association, and government management since 1991. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Public Policy Analysis from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and is a candidate for a master’s degree in Public Administration from UNC-Chapel Hill.

McKinney has provided congressional testimony on numerous occasions regarding the importance of regional development organizations in helping shape the nation’s economic growth. He is nationally recognized for promoting innovative solutions in areas such as planning and economic development, workforce development, transportation and transit, and aging services.

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