[Press Release] : FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Meet and Greet - Strategic Planning Partners - Thursday, Feb 11 from 8 to 8:45 am

[Press Releases]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Steven Sapp, Community Relations Director
(573) 874-7257

Meet and Greet - Strategic Planning Partners - Thursday, Feb 11 from 8 to 8:45 am

COLUMBIA, MO (February 10, 2016) - The City of Columbia is excited to announce the addition of four community members as partners to implement portions of the City of Columbia Strategic Plan.

The community is invited to meet Mr. Glenn Cobbins Sr., Mrs. Judy Hubbard, Mr. James Whitt and Mr. Carl Kenney on Thursday, Feb. 11, from 8 to 8:45 a.m., at City Hall, 701 E. Broadway, conference rooms 1A and B. City Manager Mike Matthes will make brief comments at 8:15 a.m.

Mr. Matthes outlined the 2016-2019 Strategic Plan at a community briefing on Sept. 4, 2015. The Columbia City Council adopted the Strategic Plan on Sept. 8, 2015 by Resolution R147-15.

The current Strategic Plan is dedicated to making Columbia the best place for everyone to live, work, learn and play as well as a place where all families cannot only live...but thrive.

The Strategic Plan priorities include -


*Economy: Jobs that support families.



*Social Equity: Improving the odds for success.



*Public Safety: Safe wherever you live, work, learn and play.



*Infrastructure: Connecting the community



*Operational Excellence: High-level service from engaged employees


To help implement the plan, three separate neighborhoods were identified using neighborhood stress test data. While the strategic plan priorities include all of Columbia, these neighborhoods will become focus areas to collect and establish baseline data and input.

To assist and enhance communications with residents in the focus neighborhoods, the City of Columbia has hired Glenn Cobbins Sr. and Judy Hubbard as part-time temporary employees. Both Glenn and Judy bring years of experience establishing and implementing outreach programs with Columbia residents. Glenn and Judy founded the Imani Mission on Ash St. in 2000, offering community based programs until budget cuts forced its closing in July of 2015. Glenn and Judy will spend much of their time meeting with residents in the focus neighborhoods and gathering information on how the strategic plan priorities could be implemented and determining the needs of the residents in the focus neighborhoods. Mr. Cobbins and Mrs. Hubbard will earn $11.00 per hour.

Carl Kenney is an adjunct professor at the University of Missouri - School of Journalism and serves as an Associate Pastor at Bethel Baptist Church in Columbia. The Columbia native was named the best serious columnist of 2011 by the North Carolina Press Association for his work with the News & Observer's community paper The Durham News. Carl has been contracted to produce three neighborhood plans which are supported by the community partners, and most importantly, the people who reside in the focus neighborhoods. Mr. Kenney will earn $48,000 throughout his contract.

James Whitt was employed by GE for 23 years before moving to Columbia where he founded cPhase Sports Association, a not-for-profit organization which sponsors youth basketball teams which travel the country for tournament play. James is also a member of the Columbia School Board. James has been contracted to work with the Central Missouri Opportunity Council, Regional Economic Development Incorporated (R.E.D.I.), the Columbia Chamber of Commerce and the business community to develop a program to assist Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (DBEs) including minority and women owned businesses in order to compete in government and private sector opportunities. Mr. Whitt will earn $52,000 throughout his contract. 

To read more about the Strategic Plan and view the maps of the three focus neighborhoods, visit GoColumbiaMo.com and search "Strategic Plan."

 



 -30- 

______________________________________________________

You have received this message because you subscribe to the City of Columbia's Web Mail service. To view linked material click on provided links or copy and paste them into your browser's address menu.
______________________________________________________

Archived press releases can be viewed online at:
http://www.gocolumbiamo.com/CMS/pressreleases/directory.php
______________________________________________________

If you would like to stop receiving messages, modify list options, or subscribe to other lists visit the Web Mail section of our Web site and follow the instructions provided. 

http://www.gocolumbiamo.com/Web_Mail/