Monday, September 08, 2008
Posted by
Ray Leach
Many citizens believe that government cannot realistically sort through the complexities of today's economic challenges.
I think that the State of Ohio's Department of Development (ODOD) certainly proved that they have a very clear grasp on most of the significant issues facing our state's economy, with the release of their brand new economic development plan on September 3, 2008. Their website offers access to a copy of the complete plan and the executive summary.
I served on the advisory board to ODOD for the plan, along with about 80 others. While the sessions I participated in were valuable, the size of the advisory board and the breadth of opinions expressed made the process somewhat challenging.
Having said this, I think the plan published by Lee Fisher and the team at the ODOD is a great one. It is inspiring, clear, measurable and - best yet - practical in its approach.
Leading the economic development efforts across Ohio's entire economy has got to be a thankless job and one that requires unending energy and commitment! We are lucky to have such great leadership that has demonstrated both their commitment to transforming Ohio's economy on a day-to-day basis, as well as their understanding of the issues facing our State.
Ohioans should feel good that there is a plan in place to lead us into the future and help us track how we are progressing toward the plan's goals.
Read the news coverage of the strategic plan in the PD's Politics Blog and in the Akron Beacon Journal.
Ray Leach is CEO of JumpStart and brings his energy and leadership experiences from founding five high-growth entrepreneurial and intrapreneurial endeavors in the last 20 years. Ray is a Sloan Fellow and earned an MBA from the MIT Sloan School of Management. He also earned a BA in Finance from the University of Akron.