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Southern Tier 8 Regional Board Receives National Association of Development Organizations 2021 Impact Award

Published on: Wednesday October 27th, 2021

Contact: Joe McKinney For Immediate Release 

NADO Executive Director   October 25, 2021

202.921.4441 | [email protected]
             


Southern Tier 8 Regional Board Receives National Association of Development Organizations 2021 Impact Award

 

WASHINGTON, DC – Southern Tier 8 Regional Board based in the Southern Tier, NY has received a 2021 Aliceann Wohlbruck Impact Award from the National Association of Development Organizations (NADO) for the Better Connection Program.

 

The Better Connection program that was launched in June 2021. This program was designed to promote better connectivity and services throughout the region now and in the years to come. 

 

The innovative approach on asking users to “rate their relationship with their internet” was clever, fun, and most importantly effective. We look forward to seeing the progress of this program in the years to come.

 

Southern Tier 8 Regional Board worked closely with its local partners in all 8 counties to clearly understand the issues residents are facing with their internet speed, connection, and usage.

“Understanding the data, or in this case the lack thereof was key to outlining the target areas we needed to focus on.” - Jen Gregory Executive Director of ST8 

The Southern Tier 8 Regional Board hired Hue Creative Agency in Binghamton, NY to develop the creative communication and design for this program. 

“Working with Hue was great. Love the frustrated narrative which really speaks to all the issues we heard and the humor in the program along with the innovative design. This is what we needed to help folks feel at ease and connected to the program.” - Jen Gregory Executive Director of ST8

The Southern Tier 8 Regional Board works with partners across the region in strategizing their programs, understanding issues, and creating forward-thinking solutions

 

“Without our partners, this would not be possible. Their detailed feedback and commitment to the project and issues within their jurisdiction was very beneficial to helping us outline the path to the Better Connection Program. “- Jen Gregory Executive Director of ST8.

To learn more about the Better Connection program go to betterconnection.org

 

NADO is a Washington, DC-based membership association of regional development organizations that promote programs and policies that strengthen local governments, communities, and economies through regional cooperation, program delivery, and comprehensive strategies.  The association’s 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 2021 Annual Training Conference, held in Portland, OR on October 16-19.  The 2021 class of award recipients consists of 102 projects from 70 organizations spanning 24 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://www.nado.org/2021_impactawards/ 

 

“During the past 20 months, regional development organizations across the country have shown just how valuable they are in supporting the local communities they serve,” said 2019-2021 NADO President Kevin Byrd, executive director of the New River Valley Regional Commission, located in Radford, VA.  “From COVID-19 response and recovery initiatives, to workforce and economic development projects, to social services programs and much more, the 2021 NADO Impact Awardees highlight the many ways our members work on the ground every day to improve quality of life in their regions.”  

 

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 Jen Gregory at [email protected] or at 607-287-9536.

 

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Since 1967 the National Association of Development Organizations (NADO) has provided advocacy, education, networking, and research for the national network of 540 regional development organizations. NADO members provide professional, programmatic, and technical assistance to over 2,300 counties and 15,000 municipalities.