Community Project Ideas SessionSeptember 25, 2014

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Tonight’s Objectives

1. Exciting updates from community leaders

2. Hoosick Rising Update

3. Community SWOT Summary

4. Review of Project Ideas

5. Vote: Project Ideas

6. Get involved

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Tonight is about identifying priority projects and

implementation teams to keep Hoosick Rising.

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Hoosick Rising Status Update

Economic Profile

Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities Threats (SWOT)

Community engagement and capacity building

Initiatives & Priority Projects

Action Plan Matrix (“Live” document)

o Final Strategy

o Quarterly Check-In

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• Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development: Opportunities for networking and fostering makers/creators

• Built Environment: Downtown, Residential, commercial, public spaces and places.

• Marketing the Region for Tourism/Visitation/Recreation

• Historic and Natural Resources: Access and Quality

• Education and Workforce: Youth through retirement

• Thinking beyond Hoosick's borders: Opportunities to partner with Route 22 Corridor communities

SWOT

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SWOT Summary: Hoosick Strengths

• Small town living

• Private investment by community-minded entrepreneurs

• Schools and youth programs

• Historic and natural resources

• Hoosick Rising – making things happen

• Active non-profit orgs

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SWOT Summary: Hoosick Weaknesses

• Population decline

• Disinvestment in built environment

• Proximity to large markets

- Small labor pool

- Limited consumer demand

• Limited collaboration/communication between local businesses

• No higher education institution

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SWOT Summary: Hoosick Opportunities

• Regional partnerships

• Growing artist/entrepreneurial environment regionally

• Trend back to urban-small city living

• Agriculture/Farm-to-table/Sustainable Food

- Various Ag Initiatives

- Made in NY movement

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SWOT Summary: Hoosick Threats

• Growing tax burden on residential properties

• Loss of large employer

• Aging population

• Drug use rising

• Negativity

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A Challenge:

Act Like a Startup Community

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Rule 1:

Entrepreneurs must lead

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Rule 2:

Leaders must make a long-term commitment

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Rule 3:

The startup community must be inclusive of anyone who wants to

participate.

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Rule 4:

The startup community must have continual activities that engage the

entrepreneurial stack.

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What am I signing up for? Team Member

• Be an active member of team

• Focus on implementation

• Work collaboratively with other team members and teams

• Complete assigned tasks

Team Leaders – Project Managers

• Form team

• Lead development of implementation plan

• Oversee completing implementation plan - set deadlines

• Report out to Hoosick Rising project manager

• Feed information to social media advocates

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Projects & Initiatives

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Your October to-to list:

• Get involved in an initiative, email Christa

• Invite 5 new people to get involved

• Get Social: Talk, Tweet, Post about Hoosick Rising

• Send us you great ideas

Sooo….What’s Next?

christa@camoinassociates.com