From Dr. Yo:
Margie,
The
report I sent is the final one and the core piece of the notebook.
Though the language “ Physical Revitalization and Aesthetics” is used,
the content encompasses the areas of improving the physical appearance
and aspects like streetscapes , entrance signage, etc. --- items
covered in discussions about’ implementing the master land use plan”
during the meetings.
Hope this minimizes any confusion.
Yolanda Burwell
From Margie: Apologies for any formatting errors. We assume other copies of the book as PDFs will be posted when we can get them.
------------- THE BOOK ------------------- THE BOOK------------------THE BOOK-----------------
Town of Red Springs
Red Springs STEP Leadership Team
NC STEP Economic Development Strategic
Plan
and Implementation Strategy
I. Introduction
The North Carolina Small Towns Economic Prosperity program (NC
STEP) brings a comprehensive revitalization effort to communities, especially
those challenged by economic hardships due to changes in the economy and/or
natural disasters. It is part of a
larger initiative of the North Carolina Rural Economic Development Center
called the Small Towns Initiative.
State leaders recognize that North Carolina’s small towns serve a major
role in the economic, social and cultural well being of the state as a whole.
Even with the rapid growth of urban centers, North Carolina remains a state of
small towns: over 475 towns have populations of fewer than 10,000 people,
accounting for 86 percent of the state's municipalities.
The Small Towns Initiative and NC STEP are based on the
belief that North Carolina’s towns have the opportunity to embrace a new future
that –
Ø
Values the best of the past;
Ø
Preserves and enhances important resources;
Ø
Seeks out new economic opportunities; and
Ø
Respects, involves and lifts up all the people
who live in these towns.
The program has three primary goals:
(1) Support economic recovery and
revitalization through job creation, business activity and leveraged private
and public investments;
(2) Implement a comprehensive
model of local leadership capacity building, technical assistance and grant making;
and,
(3) Provide vital information to
develop public policies that support long-term investment in the economic
vitality of North Carolina’s small towns.
STEP towns are chosen based on level of economic distress, geographical
distribution, population size and diversity, management structure, resource
availability and degree of readiness.
Towns must show an understanding of the importance of an inclusive
community leadership team and demonstrate the potential for economic recovery
and revitalization and economic transition.
By participating in the program, towns receive:
(1) Coaching assistance to
identify critical needs and community assets, develop potential economic
development initiatives, prioritize projects and seek out technical and
financial resources;
(2) Planning funds ($25,000)
to use in the planning phase for assessments, feasibility studies, coordination
and travel, and other pertinent activities;
(3) Implementation funds
($100,000) to implement priority projects developed through the planning
process;
(4); Opportunities for training
workshops and shared learning; and,
(5) Priority consideration in
other Rural Center grants programs.
For more detail on the Requirements and Planning Process of
participating in the STEP program, please refer to Appendix A.
II. Town Participation – Red Springs Becomes a STEP
Community
Red Springs entered the STEP program in June 2010 as one of eleven
towns in the third cohort of STEP towns.
In its application, Red Springs summarized
its desire to be in the program with this statement:
It is the goal of the community
to enhance its economic development potential through strategic planning and
visioning. We understand the importance of receiving input from all segments of
the community. To that end, we are
committed to assemble an inclusive leadership team to assist in the planning
and implementation of this program.
Red Springs has participated in numerous programs designed to create
jobs. Unfortunately, these have
not all been long lived. As such,
we are keenly aware of the long-term benefits a successful effort can bring to
the community and are eager to accept the responsibilities of this program.
III. Applying the STEP Process – Red Springs Engages
KICK-OFF
The kickoff is an opportunity to celebrate and emphasize
what makes the community special and engage its citizens in the STEP process. Red Springs held its Kick-Off event on Saturday
afternoon, September 25, 2010, outside the George Paris Community Building. Festivities included several musical
performances, entertainment, door prizes and food. Promotional items, such as Red Springs NCSTEP T-shirts, pins, and pens were provided to
attendees. A Message Board
was put up for each attendee to post suggestions and ideas on actions needed to
improve Red Springs. A list of
these suggestions is in Appendix A.
Approximately 100 citizens attended the Kick-Off Celebration.
LEADERSHIP TEAM
MISSION STATEMENT AND COMMUNITY VISION
The first step in the planning process was to insure that
the Leadership Team and the community clearly understand both the Team’s source
of authority (Red Springs Town Council) and its responsibilities (to create an
economic development strategic plan and implementation strategy). The Team developed the following mission statement:
The Red Springs NC STEP
Leadership Committee is a group of committed citizens working to serve, enrich,
and empower the greater Red Springs community by investing today for tomorrow’s
prosperity through sustainable economic development.
The next task was to visualize the desired and possible
future for the Red Springs community
by asking the question, ‘What do you want the community to be like 10 to 20
years from now?’ Several
dimensions were taken into account —such as the physical appearance of the
downtown, mix of businesses, population size and mix, income levels and sources
of income, public facilities, recreation opportunities and infrastructure, and
any other aspects of the community considered important. The Leadership Team
drafted the following vision statement:
Red
Springs is a thriving, energetic, warm, robust, family oriented town; one that
cares for the needs of all its citizens; a place everyone can call home. Ours is a progressive community
committed to excellence in education and continuously working to improve our
quality of life through beautification, environmental amenities and exceptional
delivery of public services.
Culturally diverse, we embrace our rich heritage as we work in unity and
with respect seeking economic opportunities for continued progress and
prosperity.
COMMUNITY PROFILE
Part of the process of taking charge of a community’s
destiny is developing an understanding of its uniqueness and diversity. The community profile is designed to
document a town’s assets, opportunities, appearance and challenges in words and
pictures. These are combined into a document that present a clear picture of
the town’s defining characteristics.
The profile provides a “first look” of the town from the leadership
team’s perspective and makes the group look at their town with a critical
eye. In compiling the profile, leadership
team members look for the answers to questions like: Who are we?
What are our defining characteristics? What do we value in our small town? What are we proud of? What are our weaknesses? What would attract investment to our
small town? What current
situations, issues, policies or problems would discourage new investment?
Pictures from Red Springs’ Community Profile are found in Appendix
B. The profile was originally in
the form of a movie with the background song “You Can't Go Home,” sung by Bon
Jovi and Jennifer Nettles.
COMMUNITY
ASSESSMENT
The community assessment is an examination of the social,
political, economic, demographic and environmental conditions within a community
or region. This process involves
economic development experts, local and regional community leaders, local
businesses and residents. Dozens
of development factors are considered and addressed. Economic “engines” and strategies evolve out of the assessment
based on priorities of the community.
An important step in this process is understanding that a
town does not exist in a vacuum. As the town embarks on developing its economic
development strategy, it needs to understand that it is planning in context.
In North Carolina, at the least, a town resides in a county; is part of
a regional economic development partnership; and is served by a council of
governments. It could also be
within the service area of a regional university’s community and economic
development outreach office. All
of these groups engage in strategic planning, and it is important for a town to
know what kind of planning is going on around them, what these strategic plans
contain and emphasize – and to be keyed in.
In Red Springs’ case the economic development director of
Robeson County, the regional planning director of the Lumber River Council of
Governments and the marketing manager of North Carolina’s Southeast Commission
presented their strategic plans to the STEP Leadership Team on November 15,
2010. Their presentations informed
the leadership team, served as a foundation for future relationships and
partnerships, and put Red Springs’ strategic planning process into a broader
context.
The complete Community Assessment is in Appendix C. A significant part of this community
assessment contains an economic
overview of Red Springs and Robeson County. See Appendix D for the economic and demographic scan prepared
for the town and county. (NOTE:
The scan was prepared before the results of the 2010 Census were available,
thus the references to the 2000 Census when Census data were used.)
Highlights of the economic and demographic information for
Red Springs follow.
Red Springs, with 3,513 people (July 2008 State Data Center
estimate) is one of 15 towns in Robeson County in southeastern North Carolina.
Lumberton is the largest town in the county with 23,026 people. Red Springs is
second in population, followed by Pembroke with 2,815 people. Robeson County
has a population of 130,316 people (July 2008 State Data Center estimate), and
grew by 5.7 percent from April 2000 to July 2008. Red Springs grew by 0.6 %
over the same period. Most of the growth in the county is in the Lumberton
area.
The 2000 Census reported 28.1% of Robeson County workers age
16 years or older worked outside the county and 31.2% of Red Springs workers
worked outside the county. Much of the commuting from the county and town is
probably to Fayetteville and the Fort Bragg military base. Lumberton had a much
smaller percentage of workers commuting out.
Current economic and demographic data about individual towns
is limited. However, with 2000 Census data we can draw some relevant
comparisons. Both Red Springs and Robeson County have very high percentages of
African Americans and persons of other races. The largest percentage of the
county population is American Indian, while the largest proportion of the Red
Springs population is African American. Whites are a minority both in the
county and in the town of Red Springs.
Educational attainment is an important measure of workforce
capacity. The percentage of high school graduates in the age 25 or more Robeson
County population (slightly less than 70%) is 8 points lower than the
percentage of high school graduates for the state (78%). The percentage of high
school graduates in Red Springs is slightly lower than in the county (by .2%),
but the percentage with a Bachelor’s degree or higher is 16.9 compared with
13.9 for the county.
According to BEA data, the Robeson County per capita
personal income in 2008 was $24,935, compared with $35,249 for North Carolina.
The 2008 number ranks Robeson County 96th in per capita income among
North Carolina counties. In 1998 the BEA estimate of PCPI for Robeson was
$17,047 and ranked 96th in the state, indicating no change in the
county’s relative income position over the 10 year period.
As mentioned earlier, the 2000 Census reported that 28.1 %
of employed Robeson County residents and 31.2 % of employed Red Springs
residents commuted to work outside the county. Looking at the BEA reported
gross flow of earnings for Robeson and surrounding counties makes the point in
a slightly different way. A negative figure indicates more income going out of
a county (workers commuting in) than coming into the county (local residents
commuting out to work), as is the case with Cumberland and Scotland. The large
increase in net outflow of earnings from Cumberland reflects the buildup of the
Fort Bragg army base. For Robeson, the residence adjustment represents 6% of
total personal income of residents. Given Red Springs’ location relatively
close to Fort Bragg, the town may have potential to grow its commuting base as
well as its population of military retirees.
Total employment in Robeson County increased by 15.5% from
2001 to 2008, substantially more than the population growth (5.7%) from 2000 to
2008. Manufacturing employment declined over this time period. However, at
14.6% it remains significantly higher than the average for the state (NC manufacturing
employment in 2008 was 9.8% of total employment.) and nation, and can be
expected to decline over the next several years.
The majority of employment growth over the period occurred
in health care and social assistance, which increased from six thousand to over
10 thousand. In absolute terms, the government sector increased by
approximately 1,000 employees, possibly reflecting growth of Pembroke State
University.
Retail expenditures are a major source of movement of income
across county lines. Generally, rural counties experience a high rate of retail
expenditure “leakage” to nearby urban counties, while resort counties may pull
in retail expenditures by attracting tourists. It is interesting to look at
leakage of retail sales across county borders.
Counties with a large inflow of shoppers, whether tourists
or regional residents, will have higher sales per capita and higher sales as a
percent of personal income than the state average, while counties with outflow
of shoppers will have lower numbers. The numbers for Robeson County are low
relative to the state, but high relative to neighboring Bladen and Hoke
Counties. Scotland and Cumberland are somewhat higher, although it is important
to note that taxable retail sales for Cumberland do not include sales on the
military base since they are not taxable. If military base sales were included,
Cumberland would look more like other urban areas in the state. The relatively
low sales per capita and as a percent of total personal income in the other
counties reflect substantial leakage out of the area.
STRATEGY
IDENTIFICATION
A matrix summarizing community assets and constraints was
developed as part of the Community Assessment and served as the springboard for
brainstorming possible economic development strategies for the town. [The
complete matrixes are in Appendix C.]
The Team was asked to look for commonalities and overlapping themes that
stood out to them and identify any strategic directions or themes from their
insights.
To think about the viability of potential strategies,
several questions were put to the Leadership Team:
·
What’s possible for the town to accomplish?
·
What are the opportunities presented by the
strategy (i.e., what assets support it)?
·
What are the weaknesses of it (i.e., what barriers
constrain it)?
·
Who is the target audience for a particular
strategy?
·
What are the goals of this strategy – what is it
supposed to accomplish?
·
If you were to move here, what would you look
for?
·
What community development and civic engagement
initiatives need to be in place or happen to reach your target audience(s)?
The following is a summary of the strategy identification
discussion:
1) Concentrate on broadening educational opportunities in
Red Springs for traditional and non-traditional students. Given that the graduation rate in Red
Springs sits at 69% and that 21st century jobs require more and
different educational attainment (plus computer literacy skills), for the
community to be economically competitive much discussion centered on skill
delivery. That is, how can the
young and/or unemployed people in the Red Springs area get the training they
need to get or create a good job without being “turned off?”
Questions such as:
v
What can the STEP leadership team do to help
keep kids in school and graduate?
v
What can the STEP leadership team do to help get
those out of school retrained with the skills and/or certifications necessary
for them to either get better jobs or create ones for themselves?
v
To what degree does the community value
education? How can this be
improved?
Current delivery systems are not attractive nor do they have
the equipment and resources necessary -- and young people want a place to go to
hang out, learn, and access state of the art equipment and high speed internet
connection. Robeson Community College (RCC), UNC-P, the K-12 school system,
4-H, NC REAL (Note: Is this available in Red Springs or through RCC?), and the
Boys and Girls Club offer alternative educational opportunities in the Red
Springs area, however, the offerings are not coordinated nor are they delivered
in a format that young people like – or that seem relevant to them.
Could there be a central location where all these modalities
intersect and the content is youth driven or directed? Could the STEP team coordinate
offerings and re-format them around interactive and creative activities as well
as vocational training so young people would have a central place to meet and
gather after school -- and those currently not in school could also participate?
2) Remake Red Springs into an entrepreneurial economy. Under present economic conditions, and
even before the Great Recession hit, Red Springs lacked many good, well-paying
jobs. In the 21st
economy, the traditional factory job is a thing of the past – and the skills
one learned to succeed then are not enough and don’t match the job requirements
of today. In fact, the
reality is that many people must create their own livelihoods, and supporting
entrepreneurship is a viable economic development strategy in today’s economic
climate.
When thinking about this, what community supports need to be
in place for small businesses and entrepreneurs to succeed? The Red Springs community has access to
the Small Business Center and entrepreneurship classes at RCC, and a near-by
SCORE chapter for one-on-one business consultations and mentoring. A chamber of commerce is also active in
Red Springs. Can the STEP
leadership team partner with existing business support organizations and muster
additional resources to create the conditions to support a culture of
entrepreneurship in the community?
More is needed than individual technical support. Entrepreneurs must be nurtured and
grown. Will the established
business community welcome and nurture new businesses and help them
succeed? Will young people be
encouraged to start businesses and be given the advice, mentorship and
resources for them to try out new ideas and grow their ventures? Are there business opportunities with
nearby military installations that local businesses can capitalize on?
3) Establish a leadership pipeline for future community and
business leaders. The group
referenced the need to cultivate new leaders, but it wasn’t fleshed out in
detail.
4) Bring the “last mile” of high speed, fiber optic internet
service to Red Springs. Is
downtown wireless? Can people and
businesses access high speed internet connections affordably? Do students have access to high speed
internet and state of the art computers, web tools and applications? The e-NC Authority is working on
protocols to help communities bring broadband infrastructure to their citizens
and businesses and has assigned a technical specialist to the Red Springs area.
Adequate broadband infrastructure is not a luxury; it is a requirement for
success and competitiveness in the 21st economy.
Red Springs’ vision statement and the strategies touched
upon above imply a number of target audiences or markets for its economic
development efforts. The area is
poised to capitalize on its assets, overcome barriers and to reinvigorate
itself, if it advances its strategies, develops relevant projects and pursues
them with sufficient intensity.
STRATEGY AND
PROJECT DEVELOPMENT
RED SPRINGS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIC PLAN
The Red Springs STEP Leadership Team adopted four economic
development strategies. The process involved Team members dividing into
subcommittees to draft a strategy statement including the strategy’s issues for
implementation and to identify, develop and propose projects designed to
fulfill the goals of their respective strategy. Each subcommittee vetted its projects among themselves, and
those projects with the most promise were brought before the whole Leadership
Team at its monthly meeting for further development and discussion. The viable projects meeting the approval
of the complete Team comprise the projects for STEP funding or in some cases
partial STEP funding. [Note that
these strategies are inter-related and projects to support one strategy may
also support another.]
Because community
development and quality of life issues fall within and overlap
strategies, each subcommittee would include projects in these areas. Projects within the scope of education
and workforce development, not-for-profit organization building and expansion,
recreation and entertainment, and physical infrastructure, attractiveness and
appearance could evolve out of any of the subcommittees.
The strategies, their descriptive narrative and summaries of
their supporting projects follow. Detailed
project templates are found in Appendix E.
STRATEGY #1: Broadening Education through Creative Computing and the
Arts
Red Springs, North Carolina has a rich history. The land on
which the town is situated came through a grant from the Governor of North
Carolina in December of 1795. Red
Springs once boasted a successful “main street” business district, a thriving
tourist trade based on its mineral rich iron springs, excellent public schools
funded and managed by the town, the Scottish “Highland Games”, and even a minor
league baseball team. Much has changed in Red Springs since the tornados of
1984 wiped out the downtown business district and many homes. Economic changes
to Red Springs since then have not been for the better. Yet Red Springs is ideally
located near the intersections of I-95 and I-74 and sits at the confluence of
Routes 211, 72, 71 and 710. Our town is an important gateway to numerous
organizations and institutions in Robeson County and surrounding counties.
The strategy of “Broadening Education” focuses on a
carefully crafted, ongoing plan to establish and evolve wide ranging,
comprehensive educational and creative cultural programs that will result in
economic growth and a renewed sense of community pride for all citizens. Our
committee believes that moving forward should be foremost in the thoughts of
the citizens of Red Springs. In short, we should work together to enhance
opportunities in Red Springs by providing creative and technology rich
educational places and spaces.
1. As a community we must address such
issues as our young people moving away to seek employment, the rising drop-out
rate, and decreasing graduation rates. Our young people need opportunities to
become successful as young entrepreneurs through creative programming right
here in Red Springs.
2. Our
unemployed and senior citizens need access to computers for work force
development, filing unemployment and filing Medicare paperwork online.
3. Red
Springs needs to identify and develop locations in which to offer programs that
can have positive effects on the community. Defining and enabling facilities
that are designed as enhanced creative, educational spaces for the greater Red
Springs community will, over time, result in a town that is more conducive to
economic growth and new businesses development.
Much of the effort to change our
town must be accomplished by citizen involvement through an organized,
coordinated, phased plan of activity. A town’s beauty is found in its physical
appearance and its spirit. We
believe that continuous community involvement, relevant educational programs
and cultural opportunities are the key. Red Springs is our town, and it is our
responsibility.
[NOTE: A more detailed strategy statement for Broadening
Education can be found in Appendix E preceding project templates.]
One comprehensive STEP Project falls under this strategy.
Creative Computing and Arts Center. Create a center for creative computing,
education, and the arts that will be a jumping off point for many kinds of
community activities. This would
stimulate interest in our business district and would help by bringing new
people downtown to see and enjoy the arts and take informal education classes.
It would be a space for people to interact and foster new kinds of community
relationships. It would revitalize the downtown area by creating exciting
experiences for residents and visitors alike. In order to concentrate on
delivering programming as soon as possible, the center will begin operation in
the American Legion Building.
Measures of success will include:
* Computer center open for Robeson Community College’s
Summer/Fall 2012 classes
* After school programs are implemented: one each for middle
and high school students
* Access for seniors (55+) to computers for Medicaid forms
(working with LR-COG)
* Access for unemployed to file unemployment online forms
for individuals in need
STEP funds: $65,000
STRATEGY #2: Physical
Revitalization and Aesthetics
Red Springs was at one time a “magical” small town that was
known as a resort and home to a respected college for young women. These elements brought commerce and
thriving business to the Red Springs community. But this began to unravel in the early 1960s as the college
closed, and the downtown commerce began to change. As time passed many of our large textile employers downsized
or closed causing a shift in employment opportunities as well as the loss of
corporate leadership for the community.
Also, in the late 80’s our RS City Schools merged with the county system
in effect causing a disconnect between the business community and the local
schools. The effect has been
a general loss of local retail business, a sagging downtown economy, and a loss
of community pride and a general sense of community malaise.
In general, over the past 30 year the appearance of the town
has degraded for the following reasons:
-
Lack of desirable downtown business and in turn
failing store fronts
-
The lack of community pride and the desire to
keep Red Springs clean and inviting
-
The lack of code enforcement and the large
number of related neglected homes and businesses
-
The inability to attract the building of new
homes and residents
-
The lack of community leadership to keep town
beautification moving forward
-
The importance of the town’s appearance relative
to economic growth has not been recognized and dealt with
In order to stimulate community pride as well as economic
growth, the appearance of the town should be foremost on everyone’s mind. The residents of the town should
actively support town beautification efforts both in spirit and in action. The following are reasons we should
work together to improve Red Springs’ appearance:
-
An attractive and well maintained Red Springs
will be more conducive to economic growth and new business development
-
To develop a sense of community pride
-
To support and encourage the efforts of code
enforcement and clean up unusable or uninhabitable houses
-
The communities improved appearance will make it
more desirable for people looking to move into the area
-
New people coming to town will add to community
pride and will enhance our intrinsic community values and provide economic
benefits
-
Growth in population will make Red Springs more
attractive to new businesses
Some of the effort to create a cleaner and more attractive
Red Springs will fall to the Town for seeking public funding and code
enforcement. There will also be
efforts to seek matching grants to incentify business to update and maintain attractive
store fronts. Other parts of the effort
must be accomplished by citizen involvement through an organized and active
plan of beautification.
The town’s physical appearance is not just in the
attractiveness of the buildings but also the pride and involvement of the
residents. This is not a one-time
solution. Certain projects such as
landscaping, development of community parks, and an improved downtown
appearance may be viewed as one time, but much of this strategy will be ongoing
and must have community buy-in and involvement over time to be successful. Red Springs is our town, and it is our
responsibility to redevelop and maintain her beauty and community pride.
The STEP project designed to support a physical
revitalization focused strategy is:
Implement the “Master Land Use
Plan” for improving streetscapes, parks, greenways, entrance signage,
springs, etc. developed by Coaly Design. (Coaly Design was hired to conduct a
streetscape/land use master plan for the town using STEP planning funds.) An
attractive and well maintained Red Springs will be more conducive to economic
growth and new business development, will enhance community pride, and will
make the town more attractive for prospective new residents.
Elements of this project include:
1. Choosing the design for
entryway signs / constructing first sign;
2. Receiving and reviewing “Master
Plan” from Coaly Design;
3. Prioritizing steps presented in
Master Plan and begin implementation of highest priorities.
4. Continue to utilize the “Clean
Teams”
5. Develop public art in vacant
store fronts and on visible sides of downtown buildings
Improve the appearance of the
business district in hopes of promoting local shopping and stronger community
pride
STEP funds allocated to this
project: $20,000
STRATEGY #3: Embracing
Entrepreneurship
Red Springs was a thriving business community for nearly 85
years and was known as the Saratoga of the South. Our intriguing history
has already been reported by the other committee strategy statements. The
strategy of “Embracing Entrepreneurship” focuses on recreating that
entrepreneurial environment in which, once again, small businesses can be
inspired, fostered and grown capitalizing on our location, identity and
cultural diversity.
A comprehensive, fluid and ongoing approach includes the following concepts:
*Branding Red Springs/Finding our identity and marketability (arts, tourism,
convenience, charm) “Red Springs… History, Re Imagined” or” History working to
reinvent itself” or “Putting Unity in Community” as quick
examples
*Revamping the entrepreneurial culture - work to create a seamless system for
entrepreneurs of all ages and all stages. Create a path for success from
small business inquiry to mentoring to partnering with town officials to engage
with prospective small business owners. This committee will be proactive in
finding local, county resources as well as forming an Ad hoc citizens group for
Entrepreneurship who will support small business. We will seek resources
to include Youth Entrepreneurship and youth financial literacy. Youth
engagement will serve to develop a pipeline as well as stirring the spirit of
potential local adults to whom we can provide technical assistance and
mentoring resources.
*ReVisioning/Revitalizing Downtown. With and in support of the proposed
multi-use education facility that encourages the arts, education and generates
tourism, this committee believes that small business will once again line Main
Street. Businesses that complement and service the needs of the
clients/users will naturally spring up. Potentially to include business
incubation site(s).
This committee is aware that this process is a journey. We did not get
here overnight and we will not get out overnight. We have to
redefine/reinvent ourselves, unify around that new identity and create small
business opportunities based on the experience folks will have here.
Our project will change and grow as we move beyond creating the foundation, as
the pipeline of entrepreneurs builds with education and leadership, as pride is
restored through aesthetics and as unity is rebuilt in our community, as the
core committee grows, as success breeds success.
We can re-imagine what is possible, work to make changes now, and create a new
future for ourselves and impact seven generations to come.
A STEP project embracing entrepreneurship is:
Build the pipeline of entrepreneurs through Youth
Entrepreneurship Camps. The economic future of small towns is critically
dependent on the establishment and growth of new businesses. Red Springs has a
number of locational advantages for residential and commercial
development. There are more than
10,000 cars that travel through Red Springs every day. The new education and arts center will
generate even more traffic through downtown. Red Springs needs more businesses,
and establishing a culture of support for entrepreneurs will lead to new
business formation. STEP funds:
$5,000
STRATEGY #4: Building
Life Leadership Skills
Red Springs Leadership has not been as forth right to the
community and to the younger adults and has lost its direction over the past
forty years; its biggest problem is that we have not passed along leadership
values to our succeeding generations.
Part of this is that our youth with talent and leadership skills have
moved to greener pastures because of the lack of leadership and mentorship
which has driven them away from our Community. Moreover, because of the community disconnect with the
school system what leadership skills that are developed during school events
rarely transfer to the community as a whole.
The overall picture is broken down into the following
phases:
-
Much of our young talent leaves Red Springs for
higher education and never returns because of the lack of available high paying
jobs.
-
We have not developed any coordinated leadership
skills programs in our community to help develop the talent which did not or
could not leave for greener pastures.
-
The general lack of community pride promotes
apathy and results in those with leadership skills not wanting to step up and
offer their services.
The leadership strategy will build community pride and
instill the desire to see Red Springs move forward in a healthy and positive
fashion by building life leadership
skills, entrepreneurial skills
and critical thinking skills.
-
By developing leadership skills earlier in our
youth we will empower them to take control of their destiny and impart a sense
of hope and pride
-
By developing leadership skills our community
will benefit from more actively involved residents who want Red Springs to grow
and thrive
-
By developing entrepreneurial leaders we will
help create local jobs that spawn creative job development and attract other
job creation opportunities
-
By developing leadership skills we will bridge
the racial and cultural divide that has long held our community back by forcing
us to think along boundaries rather that thinking of whole of the community.
There is a debate that there are people who are born with
innate qualities that help them to become good leaders, while others have to
strive hard to attain their leadership skills. So in reality, you could say yes
to both questions. We as leaders do need to lead our citizens by showing our
leadership skills, our compassion, integrity, honesty, humility, determination,
courage, passion, confidence, commitment, wisdom and expertise. Becoming a
leader entails more than skills, it combines skills with those traits listed in
the previous sentence. We will have to encourage existing community groups like
the Chamber of Commerce to become involved as well as working to start and
develop leadership programs that will reach our youth beginning in the middle
school years. This is a lifelong
learning process, one that once begun will have no end, just a better foundation
to build upon.
The STEP Project related to this strategy includes:
1. Red Springs Ready -- A Leadership Institute for
Community Leaders in Red Springs: Ready to Learn, Ready to Lead, Ready for the
Future. Red Springs needs a larger
pool of leaders in the community.
If leaders are not appearing, we must create a leadership structure to
encourage and develop emerging leaders. Red Springs Ready offers citizens of
Red Springs the opportunity to acquire knowledge of the community and to
develop leadership potential. It offers citizens an opportunity to become
personally and professionally acquainted with town as well as county structure
and life, which can benefit their present and future leadership.
Objectives of Red Springs Ready:
• Select highly-qualified potential and emerging leaders who
are most likely to give to our community.
• Include participants from various sectors of the community
to establish a network for future communication and understanding.
• Provide leadership skill training, i.e., problem solving,
group dynamics, future planning, etc.
• Study history, community issues, perspective, and
functions.
• Create direct lines of communication between participants
and existing community leaders.
• Communicate the benefits of Red Springs Ready to the
community.
STEP funds allocated to Red Springs Ready: $10,000
IV. Implementation
The Rural Center allows a STEP community a year to a maximum
of a year and a half from the approval of its economic development strategic
plan and implementation strategy and contract date to complete its projects.
Implementation involves the following:
·
Monthly reports must be completed and received
by the Rural Center in a timely fashion.
·
If problems, issues or concerns arise, it is the
responsibility of the town to notify the Rural Center STEP staff as soon as
possible.
·
Accurate fiscal management is the responsibility
of the town and will be monitored closely.
·
The Leadership/Implementation Team continues to
meet on a monthly basis to share information, update each other on project
progress, and to maintain momentum.
·
A facilitator is responsible for calling the
meetings and developing an agenda; a recorder will take minutes.
·
New members are always encouraged to join and
contribute to the team.
·
Once the initial projects funded through the
STEP program are completed, the STEP community continues to work its economic
development strategic plan, develop new projects and strive to realize its
vision.
STEP Impact and
Evaluation:
As projects are initiated and completed, the town must
monitor their impact. The NC Rural
Center will be tracking economic development indicators to evaluate the
effectiveness of the program in the community.
Thus, STEP towns should keep in mind these questions as they
implement their projects, develop additional projects, and document their
results:
·
Have members of the Leadership Team stepped up
their leadership role in the community and are making a difference?
·
Have new jobs and businesses resulted from these
strategies and projects?
·
Are new private and public monetary investments
coming into the town?
·
Are more dollars being spent in the
community? Are people patronizing
local businesses? Have any
existing businesses expanded as a result of STEP?
·
Are residents seeing improvements in their
community and letting local officials and citizen leaders know that they’re
noticing a difference? and like it?
·
Is there more hope and energy in your community?
·
Are young people engaged in carrying out any of
the STEP projects and offering ideas for additional projects?
·
Have new partnerships been formed? Is the town working more with the
county or state government offices on economic development issues? Has the town
engaged more with the regional council of governments? Have any town/private
business partnerships formed around a particular opportunity or to solve a
particular problem?
·
Has the town sought resources or assistance from
regional organizations such as the community college or regional university?
·
Have any non-profit organizations in the
community stepped up to tackle town issues or meet a need?
·
Does the town look better? Are more people aware of the town’s
participation in the STEP program and see the correlation?
Through STEP, the Leadership Team has learned a process to
vet new ideas, find resources and execute projects and initiatives. Over time, it is anticipated that the
STEP process will continually evolve -- that the Leadership Team will create
new projects to be developed and implemented, and that the economic development
strategies will be re-evaluated as progress is made and circumstances
improve. This Team is expected to
continue after STEP funds have been spent, these initial STEP projects
described in this economic development strategic plan are completed, and the
STEP program relationship with the Rural Center has lessened. With consistent and expanded leadership
and the ability to bring more resources to the community, the town will
increase its chances for prosperity and will see an improved quality of life
for its current and future residents.
