Delegates issue report on Charlotte, N.C., visit

Following the eighth annual community leadership visit during which 41 Springfield-area community leaders visited Charlotte, N.C., the delegates collaborated on a recently issued report about the visit, which was coordinated by the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce.

According to the report, the visit focused on regional economic development, business and education partnerships, center city development and local government cooperation.

The delegates examined Charlotte's achievements in each of four areas and determined that vision, action, business leadership and communication were among the common themes that served as the foundation for the city's successes.

Using information gleaned during the visit, the 41 local representatives have come up with the following things that city leaders need to focus on:

Staying on top of growth management issues

Working together as a region

Support for the Springfield-Branson Regional Airport

Finding the city's "niche"

Increased business support for public education

Focusing on private and public investments in center city

The city of Charlotte is larger than Springfield, but it was chosen as the destination of this year's leadership visit because of unique community connections Springfield City Manager Tom Finnie is the former deputy city manager of Charlotte and Charlotte's reputation of success in the specific areas Springfield delegates wanted to examine.

According to the report, Finnie said the Charlotte of the 1970s and 80s is comparable to the Springfield of today, so looking at Charlotte's history and evolution in community development success is worthwhile.