NWA Council Announces 2018 Greater Northwest Arkansas Development Strategy

The Northwest Arkansas Council announced its 2018 Greater Northwest Arkansas Development Strategy during the organization’s annual meeting on July 10 at the Janelle Y. Hembree Alumni House in Fayetteville.

The 2018 Targeting Transformational Innovation Greater Northwest Arkansas Development Strategy blueprint is a three-year plan featuring 54 items, said Ted Abernathy of Economic Leadership LLC. It focuses on five areas:

• Innovation Ecosystem
  • Goal: Be a catalyst for improvements to the region’s Innovation Ecosystem by supporting increased business and research collaborations and develop programs to help attract students, faculty and entrepreneurs to the region.
• Talent Development and Attraction
  • Goal: Develop and attract the talent needed to build and sustain world-class employers in Northwest Arkansas.
• Infrastructure
  • Goal: Advance infrastructure priorities to support the economic competitiveness, development and population growth of Northwest Arkansas.
• Economic Development
  • Goal: Lead the regional economic development efforts to foster the growth of investment and job opportunities.
• Regional Stewardship
  • Goal: Champion placemaking and provide leadership, collaborative capacity and resource alignment to ensure the region remains a well-led, vibrant, attractive and diverse community for employers and residents alike.

“It is wonderful to work with a region that is looking out this aggressively into the future,” Abernathy said.

Other business during the meeting included a presentation of the 2017-18 Annual Report by Nelson Peacock, NWA Council President/CEO; transfer of presiding co-chair position from Chancellor Joseph E. Steinmetz to Nick Hobbs; and council leadership appointments.

For more information, visit www.nwacouncil.org. View more of the photos from the annual meeting at 3wmagazine.smugmug.com/NWA-Council-Annual-Meeting-71018/.