Deadline For Creative Connector Applications Is Monday
The City of Roanoke has an unfortunate history of engaging consultants to produce costly reports, and then failing to take action on those recommendations once the work is completed. Rather than electing visionary leaders, we count on outsiders to provide a vision for what our city might become. When a truly exciting idea is put forward, it is usually shouted down by the vocal minority within our community whose only objective seems to be preserving the status quo.
The city has once again engaged an out of town consulting group, but this time it looks like things might be different. The Creative Class Group is led by noted regional economic development expert Richard Florida. They have designed the Creative Communities Leadership Program which uses a proven framework for the development of regional prosperity based on Talent, Tolerance, Technology, and Territorial Assets.
What sets this apart from the failed programs of the past is that the vision comes from within the community. Facilitators from the Creative Class Group will provide the operational framework, but the real work will be done by a group of 30 members of the community acting as Creative Connectors. According to Stuart Mease, what makes this different is that the consultants recommendations represent the beginning of a process rather than the end.
Roanoke is one of three cities chosen to participate in the CCLP this year, along with Bloomington, IL and Vancouver, BC. Past participants have included Tacoma, WA; El Paso, TX; Tallahassee, FL; Charlotte, NC; Duluth, MN; and Dayton, OH. Some of the projects developed as a result of the program include local social networking websites, green business councils, and creative business incubators.
According to the city website, “the Creative Connectors will represent a diverse team of community leaders through their background, industry, age, race, orientation, and experience. The team’s task will involve working with the community to build a more authentic and prosperous region through the creation of sustainable projects. Furthermore, this group will encourage the entire community to support these projects, which will be aimed at fostering a creative base for Roanoke.”
The deadline for applications to participate in the program as a Creative Connector is February 23rd. As of this morning, approximately 70 applications have been submitted. According to Mease, the city hopes to announce the names of the 30 selected participants sometime during the first week in March. The candidates will be chosen by a panel of city officials along with input from members of the local education and business communities.
If you are interested in participating in the program, and you can commit 4 to 5 hours per week over the next 12 months, please submit an online application available here. Please note that participation is not limited to the 30 chosen to be creative connectors. While those people are expected to be the driving force behind the program, Mease anticipates that there will be opportunities for hundreds of people to get involved in the various programs as they develop over the next year.
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