FOCUS
F.O.C.U.S (Forging Our Community's United Strength) Greater Syracuse is a community-wide project designed to economically advance the Central New York area by facilitating an atmosphere of positive change and unity in the community. It was founded by a group of Leadership Syracuse graduates and residents and is a non-for-profit organization. FOCUS is loosely based on an increasing number of similar organizations popping up in regions across the country. In brief, to facilitate the beginnings of this economic development, approximately 200 trained volunteers went into the community, (schools, workplaces, houses, of worship, etc.), and facilitated over 124 open sessions with over 2,500 participants. Participants were asked to come up with ideas and dreams for the future of the area, and over 15,500 were generated. These were entered into a database at the local college and grouped into 87 main goals for development in the following categories: education, government, health and human services, neighborhoods, downtown, economic development, arts and events, and tourism. These goals were compiled into a community report, voted on by the community at the 'Vision Fair', and used to benchmark progress of the group.
One of the main goals of this project was to identify resources that would help to attain the goals and assist them in working together. The Erie County Executive's office receives countless phone calls and letters each week from concerned business leaders and citizens willing to donate time and services. Also, in the appendices of this summary is a report on entitled Shared Government Services in Onondaga County, which was conducted for FOCUS Greater Syracuse and outlines shared services and examples of consolidation throughout the country. People who participated in Syracuse include the Mayor and County Executive, as well as local business and economic development leaders. As per a telephone conversation with Trina Tardone-Steinhardt, projects such as building a new aquarium, the construction of a multi-tiered entertainment complex to draw tourists and conventions, and a self-contained area built for hosting festivals, have all spawned as a result of FOCUS initiatives. Chattanooga recently experienced a new growth in their civic life, and decided to enact a community driven economic development project similar to FOCUS, the Chattanooga Regional Growth Initiative (CRGI). to attain the goals outlined is based on FOCUS serving as 5 "C's", a Convenor, Communicator, Catalyst, Clearinghouse, and Champion. A complete list of the goals can be found in the additional information following this report. - FOCUS serves and a regional communicator, maintaining a website (www. Porter, head of the Institute for Strategy and Competitiveness at the Harvard School of Business. They also created a 'Dreamshaping' brochure for distribution, which outlines the organization and the main goals as determined by the community. - While numerous projects and goals may be determined, the resources and capital to attain them may not be available. Other goals currently being acted on include waterfront development, welfare to work transition, stopping urban sprawl, and adding new jobs. Over 4,000 people attended the Vision Fair and registered their votes as to which goals were most important to them in order to determine the community's priorities.
Common topics in this essay:
Disadvantages Advantages,
Leadership Syracuse,
Trina Tardone-Steinhardt,
Play Government,
Clearinghouse Champion,
Visioning Process,
Police Departments,
Vision Fair,
Syracuse Syracuse,
Industry Clustering,
economic development,
main goals,
volunteers community,
trina tardone-steinhardt,
shared government services,
determined community,
community leaders,
focus serves,
community driven,
sit regional,
regional committees,
trained volunteers community,
regional industry clustering,
sit regional committees,
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Acceptance Essays
