Ignite the Region

Our friends at the Northwest Indiana Forum have been maintaining a list of resources for the business and industry community during COVID-19, which can be accessed here .  

The following piece was contributed by Heather Ennis, the Forum’s President & CEO, prior to the Coronavirus outbreak. Despite the current situation, NIRPC has remained part of the momentum for this region-wide economic initiative -- a momentum that continues even amidst the current crisis and an initiative that will continue to guide the region’s recovery when it is past.

We are excited about the activity happening around Ignite the Region- Northwest Indiana’s Strategy for Economic Transformation .

Since its launch in the fall of 2018, implementation teams have been getting together regularly to make progress on each of the 5 pillars of the plan. Implementation steps for the 5-year plan are over 70% begun and 22% complete.

In just the Business Development & Marketing pillar, the Northwest Indiana story is being told nationwide with over 24 trips meeting with 400 companies, site selectors, brokers and developers last year alone, which helped to attract over 1300 new jobs to our region, and 20 additional trips are scheduled for 2020.

Also in the works is “Impact Labs,” a creative way to bring entrepreneurship and intrapreneurship together, which could have a game-changing impact on the creative ecosystem of Northwest Indiana. Look for more to come on this and other exciting and igniting projects. 

Tackling Invasive Species on Earth Day

As we celebrate Earth Day, part of good stewardship of our planet is mitigating the negative effect of invasive species. The LaPorte County and Porter County Soil & Water Conservation Districts are collaborating on the development of a Cooperative Invasive Species Management Area (CISMAs) to help bring together local knowledge and interest in assisting private landowners.

The districts are still in the early stages of this effort. They are currently focusing on creating and organizing a formal working group and hope to begin developing a strategic plan in the next few months and are being assisted by Southern Indiana Cooperative Invasives Management. 

You can visit the Southern Indiana Cooperative Invasives Management website for more insight on Cooperative Invasive Species Management Areas by clicking   here .

Also, it is not too late to join the Calumet Collaborative's  virtual celebration of the 50th Anniversary of Earth Day , already in progress! Free registration is available  here. Recordings of the presentations will be made available to watch after the fact if you decide to spend your Earth Day getting out in nature instead.