It is the season of graduations and with it comes an air of pride, not just for parents and students, but for our community, as well. But while graduations celebrate the end of high school or college education, the term commencement is actually preparing for the start of something new!
The Greater Freeport Partnership is experiencing its own commencement. After months of considerate feedback, community engagement, and internal reflection the Partnership has developed a revised mission and vision statement as well as strategic plan to guide our efforts for years to come. The staff, board members, and committees who have contributed to this process feel strongly that our path forward is well-documented with outlined benchmarks and progress measures in our focus areas of business attraction, business retention and expansion, visitor attraction, and marketing the region. In short, we are going places!
The Partnership will release information about these efforts in the coming weeks along with an online dashboard of progress measures updated quarterly. The goal is to continually keep our members and stakeholders informed about the work our organization is doing to create opportunities in Freeport and Stephenson County. We also hope this transparency will allow for better engagement and dialogue between partner agencies as we work toward collaborative goals.
The core work of the Partnership is not changing, but the way we are organizing our efforts to maximize results is being renewed. As we commence with reimagined ideas for the future, we understand the value of your support as members, partners, and advocates in our work.
“Congratulations! Today is your day. You’re off to Great Places! You’re off and away! You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You’re on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the guy who’ll decide where to go.”
– Dr. Suess, Oh, the Places You’ll Go
To those of you who celebrate graduations this season, congratulations and best wishes to all who commence their next chapter. And, as you offer your best wishes, remind each of them of the opportunities we are creating to make Freeport and Stephenson County a place they will want to return to.
Nicole Haas, MIOP is the Brand Director for the Greater Freeport Partnership. She can be reached at nhaas@greaterfreeport.com or 815-801-3676.
