Quality of life, economic growth go together

Improving the quality of life creating a better place to live is a common goal among communities, counties and chambers of commerce in southwest Missouri. Understanding how this goal relates to business development is the key to successful economic growth. Communities of all sizes want the quick fix of attracting new businesses and jobs without going through the process of community and economic development.

There are several schools of thought relating to the process communities should go through. However, each community has different leadership, values and attitudes, physical infrastructure, community services, and economic base. Traditional processes involve identifying needs, deficiencies, and problems.

The alternative process is to begin with a clear commitment to discovering a community's capabilities and assets. This approach is based on vitalizing communities by focusing on positive assets such as individuals, associations, institutions and economy, rather than negative problems or concerns.

Every community can identify things it does not have (needs), and things it does have (assets). A strong community is built upon identifying, and then mobilizing, its assets. Mobilizing assets is only done by communication and building relationships.

Building strong relationships among the community's individuals, associations, institutions, and business is critical. Building a stronger community is about bringing these various assets into relationship with one another. Without the spirit of cooperation and working together, a community will diminish its capacity for success.

Strong leadership and communication are only part of the process. Just as important is having a community-based planning process for defining and developing a shared community vision. A strong community boasts economic and non-economic (quality of life) dimensions of the community that are both strong and thriving.

A strong local economy is one where local people are working, where local people own businesses, where local people purchase from local stores, where local people invest in the community, where dollars are circulated among the people in the community, and where community spirit thrives. The vision and planning process will lead to this goal.

Unfortunately, it is much easier to understand the community and economic development process than it is to implement it. This process is often difficult and time consuming, which is why many communities skip these steps or give up trying. To be successful, a community must be committed to the process.

The important thing is that communities understand how the process relates to successful business development. Community and business leaders throughout southwest Missouri have identified "business development" as a priority issue for the region.

The Ozarks Regional Economic Part-nership, a regional economic development organization comprised of 59 cities, counties and chambers of commerce, will address this issue at its fall partnership meeting to be held Oct. 30 in Republic.

Although the meeting will include a session on marketing communities for business development and attraction, the meeting will begin with a session to illustrate how essential the community and economic development process is to attaining successful business development, such as industrial attraction.

Creating jobs and improving a community's economic base is our common goal. So is improving the quality of life for those who live in our communities. The community and economic development process combines these two objectives to create vital communities.

The communities around the Ozarks that are experiencing successful business development have leadership and commitment for overall community and economic development. For example, the cities within Dade County, as a community, have begun the community and economic development process.

The time and hard work spent to date is beginning to pay dividends as this county begins to see positive results. Such results include the recent purchase of an industrial building in Lockwood, which had been sitting vacant for more than three years.

As the Ozarks region continues to grow and prosper, it is important for all communities to be ready to attract the type of business development that fits their plan and vision. However, without the community and economic development process, communities may lag behind those that have succeeded in community betterment.

Through regional cooperation, the partnership can assist member communities in developing the quality of life factors that make the Ozarks a great place to live and work.

The Ozarks Regional Economic Part-nership is a program of the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce in association with Associated Electric Cooper-ative Inc. and partner members located throughout the Ozarks region.

(Allen Kunkel is manager of regional development with the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce.)