Page 7 - New Allen Alliance Digital Book

A Community of Communities

Determination, grit, and a bit of stubbornness have all been foundational elements in 2016 and established core values and priorities for the group in addition to
to the success of East Allen County’s long history of community collaboration. individualized plans for each community.
What started as conversations between community members of Grabill, Harlan,
Hoagland, Leo-Cedarville, New Haven, Monroeville, and New Haven concerned • In 2017, the NewAllen Alliance Strategic Investment Plan received the John
about the possibility of annexation by the City of Fort Wayne in the late 1980s, led to C. Keller Award for Outstanding Planning Initiative by the American Planning
a formalization of the group in 1991 as a 501c6. This community of communities Association Small Town and Rural Communities Division. The communities also
has since been hard at work creating a unified voice to foster a coordinated hired a Rural Liaison to facilitate the implementation of the plan. Half of the
effort in community and economic development resulting in new investment, job liaison contract is paid for by the communities collectively and half is by the Allen
creation, and improved quality of life. The sustained, collective efforts of the rural County Commissioners.
communities to be recognized as an important part of urban Allen County has
sharpened their skills and increased their capacity to build a rural region that can
engage in meaningful ways with private, civic and governmental entities at the GRABILL HARLAN HOAGLAND NewAllen Strategic
Strategic Investment Plan
Strategic Investment Plan
Strategic Investment Plan
county, state and federal levels. INDIANA INDIANA INDIANA Investment Plan 2016:
2016 2016 2016
East Allen’s increasing capacity is evident in the building of successful initiatives Recipient of the 2017
over the years. Jon C. Keller Award for
Outstanding Planning
Strategic Investment Plan
Strategic Investment Plan
Strategic Investment Plan
Strategic Investment Plan
• The NewAllen organization was started with a $150,000 revolving loan from LEO-CEDARVILLE MONROEVILLE NEW HAVEN WOODBURN Initiative, American Planning
the United Stated Department of Agriculture to offer low interest business loans. INDIANA INDIANA INDIANA INDIANA Association, Small town &
Through the interest earned on this program, the organization developed a 2016 2016 2016 2016 Rural Communities Division
façade grant program that offered façade grants to participating communities at
a 1/3 match up to $1,000. The program still operates to this day.
• Through the years, the NewAllen Alliance has garnered continued public In a recent Op-ed on August 23rd, 2018, Echo from the East, NewAllen Alliance
and private support. Board representation is largely led by local Chamber of Boosts Rural Communities in the Fort Wayne Journal-Gazette, NewAllen Vice-
Commerce representation from each community. Board members report back President Barb Smith detailed the momentum of the communities, and asks all of
to local elected officials. Advisory members to the Board have representation Allen County, “Can you hear us now?”
from the Allen County Commissioners, Allen County Council, Greater Fort Wayne,
Inc. NIPSCO, I&M, Paulding Putnam REMC, East Allen County Schools, Upstate Current Community Engagement
Alliance of Realtors, and Ivy Tech. Since the Indiana Regional Stellar Communities opportunity was announced in early
2018, each of the seven East Allen County communities have engaged to prepare
• In 2014, NewAllen recognized the need for a strategic plan for the organization.
They received a capacity building grant from the Foellinger Foundation and hired the East Allen Rural Revival Regional Development Plan. Four meetings have been
the Community Research Institute to conduct an organizational assessment. held with each of the individual Community Planning Oversight Committees (28
At this time, they also petitioned the county’s local economic development total). In addition, two collaborative meetings have been held with the NewAllen
organization, Greater Fort Wayne, Inc., for a seat on their Board of Directors. Planning Oversight Committee, one in March of 2018 and one in May 2018 at the
Ball State Presentation. An additional collaborative meeting is being scheduled
• In 2015, the Alliance received a grant for $85,000 from the Allen County-Fort for late October, 2018 to showcase the EARR RDP to community members across
Wayne Capital Improvement Board to hire Sturtz Public Management Group, the region.
LLC develop the NewAllen Strategic Investment Plan. This plan was completed

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