Region Five earns national impact award

Region Five Development Commission (R5DC) based in Staples has received a 2022 Aliceann Wohlbruck Impact Award from the National Association of Development Organizations (NADO) for Watershed Planning.

Meeting facilitation, public engagement, and plan development coordinated by R5DC resulted in local, and subsequent state-level approval of multiple watershed plans.

These plans will lead to millions of dollars of extraordinary investment in our region over the next 10 years that will protect surface and groundwater, enhance wetlands, protect fish and wildlife habitat and recreation, and prioritize buffer zones.

NADO is a Washington, DC-based membership association of regional development organizations that promotes programs and policies that strengthen local governments, communities, and economies through regional cooperation, program delivery, and comprehensive strategies.  The Impact Awards program recognizes regional development organizations and their partners for improving the economic and community competitiveness of our nation’s regions and local communities.  

Award-winning projects were recognized during NADO’s 2022 Annual Training Conference, held in Pittsburgh, Penn., on Oct. 15-18.  The 2022 class of award recipients consists of 107 projects from 71 organizations spanning 28 states. These projects are presented in an interactive “Story Map” developed by NADO that includes project summaries, partners, and images.  The Story Map is available online at: https://tinyurl.com/38vbcczu   

“Regional development organizations and their partners have played an integral role in supporting local communities during this important time of economic recovery,” said 2021-2022 NADO President Misty Crosby, former executive director of the Buckeye Hills Regional Council, located in Marietta, Ohio.  “This year’s Impact Awards recipients demonstrate the many ways our member organizations serve their communities by promoting economic development, fostering resilience, and improving quality of life for residents.”

The NADO Impact Awards are presented in honor of the late Aliceann Wohlbruck who was NADO’s first executive director and served 24 years as a tireless champion for regional approaches to economic development in rural communities.

For more information about this award-winning project, contact Angela Anderson, 218-894-3233, aanderson@regionfive.org.