Challenge Comprised of 26 counties spanning 26,000 miles, the Texas Panhandle and its workforce development service area covers a geography larger than 10 US states. The Region 16 Education Service Center (ESC) serves school districts within the Texas Panhandle. In October 2023, Region 16 ESC was awarded the Tri-Agency Grant […]
Challenge Situated along Florida’s Atlantic coast, the Northeast Florida region spans seven counties which are home to diverse communities, extensive outdoor amenities, and an appealing mix of rural and urban living. This region plays a pivotal role in the state’s economy. Its strategic location, with coastal access and major highway
Challenge Northwest Indiana (comprised of Lake, Porter, and La Porte Counties) faces both old and new obstacles on its path to sustainable economic growth. Some, such as the decline of the steel industry, have been impacting the region for years. Others, like the region’s housing and workforce shortages, are nationwide
Challenge Charged with linking transportation and land use planning in a 7-county region of northeastern Illinois, the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP) and its partners have a strong history of collaboration. Long-range planning efforts such as ON TO 2050, the region’s current comprehensive plan that identified economically disconnected and
Challenge The inactivation of the 159th Combat Aviation Brigade coupled with additional reductions in Army personnel dropped the active duty population at Fort Campbell to 26,500 in FY2015, down from a high of 31,092 just two years earlier. These personnel actions had a significant impact on the regional economy (defined
Challenge California’s Central Coast holds many advantages including a broad industry base, dynamic employers, diverse populations, and scenic landscapes. Its growing tech and innovation ecosystem is supported by two leading universities—California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo (Cal Poly) and the University of California, Santa Barbara (UC Santa Barbara)—along with
Challenge In early 2020, Central Texas had enjoyed years of record-setting expansion and a labor market with historically low unemployment. However, even under these favorable conditions, worrisome trends loomed. The aging of the workforce and retirement exposure, the educational attainment of the working-age population, youth disconnection, and the digitalization of
Challenge The sharp downturn in economic activity precipitated by the global COVID-19 pandemic brought the need for recovery and resiliency planning into sharp relief for communities, regions, and states in 2020. Faced with the immediate need of helping member communities deal with recovery planning from the current economic upheaval, and
Challenge The Delta Regional Authority (DRA) is a federal-state partnership serving a 252-county/parish area encompassing portions of Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, Illinois, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, and Tennessee. Led by a Federal Co-Chairman and the governors of each participating state, the DRA is charged with improving the standard of living for the
Challenge The Central Upper Peninsula of Michigan boasts remarkable assets. Despite its distance from major urban centers, its natural beauty, higher education institutions, and emerging technology assets stand out both within Michigan and nationally. Facilities such as the Innovate Marquette SmartZone, Sawyer International Airport, and Northern Michigan University’s indoor agriculture
