MCB Program develops communities? potential

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The current economic downturn, coupled with the changes brought about by technological advancements and the characteristics of the new economy, is creating new challenges for all of us who are working to increase the quality of life in our communities. |ret||ret||tab|

In today's high-tech society, companies can literally choose to do business from anywhere. We need to ensure that these growth industries of tomorrow choose to bring high-tech and high-wage jobs to Missouri communities because we offer the best quality of life and the best skilled work force.|ret||ret||tab|

One way in which the state is working in partnership with our communities to improve quality of life is through the Missouri Community Betterment Pro-gram. Many Missourians throughout the state have formed community betterment associations to help their own communities grow and prosper.|ret||ret||tab|

A community or neighborhood organization can use the Missouri Community Betterment Program to help develop its potential. At the same time, the private sector, through the MCB Educational Fund Inc., provides funds for education, promotion, community awards and general program support to fuel the process. |ret||ret||tab|

Each year, dozens of Missouri communities enter the annual Missouri Com-munity Betterment award competition.|ret||ret||tab|

At the 38th Annual MCB Conference, held last month in Columbia, the community of Salem was awarded the grand prize award. |ret||ret||tab|

This small city of nearly 4,500 people in south central Missouri became in-volved with community betterment efforts in 1994. Judges selected Salem based on the city's outstanding 10-year plan for betterment, which was prepared according to community assessment and survey data, and its strong commitment to sustain improvement efforts.|ret||ret||tab|

In addition, the youth group from the city of Elsberry won this year's Glenn Smith Award, which is given to the most outstanding young adult program.|ret||ret||tab|

I applaud all of the communities and neighborhoods that are actively seeking to improve the quality of life. And I would like you to know that the Depart-ment of Economic Development is also working to develop better ways to integrate our own services to better assist Missouri communities in increasing the quality of life.|ret||ret||tab|

We are developing a new pilot program that is designed to provide targeted services that will optimize the readiness of our communities to attract and sustain development of new growth industries, as well as identify and follow up on other opportunities for growth. |ret||ret||tab|

Our aim so far is that the department's agencies, in cooperation with other governmental agencies and private organizations, will assist communities in several areas. These include industry analysis, affordable housing development, business attraction and expansion efforts, local and international business development, cooperative marketing, and targeted efforts to increase the skills of the work force.|ret||ret||tab|

As we work together to improve the quality of life in our communities and neighborhoods, whether the efforts are aided by old programs or new ones we still share a common goal: to build extraordinary communities where people and businesses want to be today and in the future.|ret||ret||tab|

(Joseph L. Driskill is the director of the Department of Economic Devel-opment.)[[In-content Ad]]