Executive
Director's
Update
| | | MVRPC hosts Data Center panel during the November Board of Director's Meeting | | |
Data centers are growing in demand to support the everyday needs of our modern lifestyle. To ensure our region has access to resources to help communities make decisions related to this type of development, MVRPC held a panel discussion during our November Board of Directors meeting. This panel showcased statewide strategies surrounding data centers, provided insight on balancing growth while protecting water resources and considerations at the local level.
The panel was moderated by MVRPC Executive Director, Brian O. Martin. Participants on the panel were Senator Willis E. Blackshear Jr., General Manager of the Miami Conservancy District, MaryLynn Lodor and Executive Vice President of Regional Development at the Dayton Development Coalition, Julie Sullivan. The recording of this panel, presentation slides and the follow-up information can be found at the links below.
| | 2026 Tour de Gem Bike Ride Held in Greene County | | Although it was a cool and cloudy morning due to threatening Hurricane Isaias, Team MVRPC and the Region turned out for the 2026 Americana 250 Cycling Classic at the Greene County Fairgrounds on Sunday, October 11. This was the latest in the Tour de Gem series rides supporting the work of United Way of Greater Dayton and the many organizations providing invaluable services to people in our region. | | | | | MVRPC was a sponsor of this year’s event and we used the opportunity to share information about the Miami Valley Trails and GOhio Commute with riders and other sponsors as well as ride the 10mile route. Mayors from many Greene County municipalities were also participants in the event including Mayor Kirkpatrick of Fairborn, Mayor Reynolds of Xenia, Mayor Adams of Beavercreek, Mayor Cody of Cedarville, and Mayor Bradley of Jamestown. State Representative Brian Lampton also attended the event. | | | | |
When there is an opportunity to work with partners and support our neighbors and communities, MVRPC staff always show up regardless of the conditions. Supporting the Tour de Gem series has been a great partnership and the residents and officials are always pleased to see MVRPC out in the community. It was a well attended event despite the potential effects from hurricane Isaias.
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The Team completed the fun 10-mile route in just over an hour with stops at the Greene County Historical Society and at Xenia Station – a major hub of the Miami Valley Trails. At the stops, the team enjoyed snacks and the opportunity to learn about Greene County history. Did you know the clock atop Greene County’s historic courthouse was hand-wound on a daily basis until 1943?
Congratulations to Team MVRPC for their participation, and to United Way for holding a successful Tour de Gem event!
| | Spending Time to Thank Federal Judge Walter Rice for his Service to MVRPC and Ohio | | Over the last decade, Judge Rice was pivotal in advising the ideation and creation of the Institute for Livable & Equitable Communities at MVRPC. He has continued to contribute as an inaugural committee member of the Regional Equity Initiative. MVRPC is deeply grateful for Judge Rice’s visionary leadership and enduring dedication to fostering a regional community where everyone matters. We are grateful for the opportunities presented to get to know him in working on strategies that ensure equity and fairness for everyone in our Miami Valley. His exceptional and exemplary service to both MVRPC and the Miami Valley Region has been outstanding. We look forward to continuing to work with Judge Rice as he indicated that he would like to continue his service on the Regional Equity Initiative committee. He visited us for the certificate presentation on October 14th. | | (Left to Right) Fabrice Juin, Judge Walter H. Rice, Brian O. Martin, AICP | | Dayton Region Showcased as the “Gem” of the 2026 OKI Regional Planning Conference | | |
The 2026 Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana (OKI26) Regional Planning Conference was hosted at the newly renovated Dayton Convention Center during September 30 and October 2.
With over 450 attendees from all three states and beyond, the conference provided extensive educational and networking programs under the “Healthy Planners for Healthy Places” theme. In addition, the conference offered great opportunities for the attendees to explore the Gem City and showcase many of our unique assets, history, and tradition. Exploration activities included walking tours of downtown and in neighborhoods, a visit to the WPAFB and Wolf Creek bike trail, and an evening reception in the Arcade’s Rotunda with Funk music to highlight Dayton’s title as “Funk Capital of the World.”
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MVRPC was heavily involved behind the scenes for this conference. MVRPC was a proud sponsor of the conference and many staff volunteered their time in both the planning committees and during the conference.
Staff helped at every corner ensuring smooth operation, setting up for the conference, welcoming the attendees at the registration table, and staffing the reception.
MVRPC and area planners expanded their knowledge base by attending a diverse selection of sessions during the conference. Topics ranged from legislation in the Ohio statehouse, improving public participation, data
center considerations, ethical challenges of Artificial Intelligence, age-friendly planning, and much more.
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Further, Martin Kim, Director of Community and Regional Planning and Milo Simpson, Planner II, hosted an educational session titled “Planning for Health: Where do we
stand?” This session engaged the attendees in the discussion of how to advance planning efforts to achieve
healthy communities and shared insights from the agency’s Local Plan Health Assessment and Healthy Communities
Needs Assessment conducted as part of its PLAN4Health - Miami Valley Initiative.
The Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana (OKI) Regional Planning conference is held every other year and is sponsored by the Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana State Chapters of the American Planning Association.
| | Grants and Funding Resources | | |
On a monthly basis MVRPC is highlighting funding opportunities for member villages, cities, counties, and townships on our website. We include a description, contact information and program links. We have also listed other valuable resources for finding funding opportunities for our regional jurisdictions and organizations. Explore more on our Grant and Funding Opportunities page.
This month we are featuring information on:
- Dayton Foundation Greenlight Grants– Deadline: December 1, 2026
- Violent Crime Reduction Grant Program– Deadline: January 7, 2027
If you have any questions, please contact Kathryn Youra Polk at kyoura.polk@mvrpc.org or 937.223.6323.
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| Upcoming Meetings and Events | | The date for the Regional Equity Initiative meeting has been changed from November to December 2, 2026.
Please check the agency calendar on mvrpc.org or contact Laura Dent at ldent@mvrpc.org for the status of your meeting. | | | | |
