Legacy Foundation hosts Lake County Advancement program event to encourage conversation and discuss issues in Lake County

On Thursday, October 2, Legacy Foundation invited members of the community to Innsbrook Country Club in Merrillville for a conversation about the Lake County Advancement Program.

President and CEO of Legacy Foundation, Kelly Anoe, considers this space to be beneficial for allowing the Lake County community to talk about what issues need to be addressed in this area.

“Lake County Advancement conversations are focused on bringing people together,” Anoe said. “It’s an opportunity for people to discuss and learn about the topics that are most relevant to our communities.”

President and CEO of NWI Forum, Heather Ennis, gave a presentation at the event about Ignite the Region: A Regional Strategy for Economic Development. This is better known as NWI Forum’s main economic development plan in Northwest Indiana. She was excited to share this updated plan that focuses on integrating arts, culture, tourism, and sustainability.

“We’re really excited about Ignite the Region,” Ennis said. “As for the regional economic development plan, putting arts and culture into the strategy is a long overdue process that has really been enlightening.”

While Lake County might require a lot of attention right now, this is a strategy that will also take place in Porter, La Porte, Newton, Jasper, Pulaski, and Starke counties. 

“We cover seven counties, and Lake County is the most populous one of them all,” Ennis said. “We’re fortunate to collaborate with the Legacy Foundation and the work they do on many projects across the Region. This is the culmination of the planning strategy and really getting into the implementation portion of that.” 

Principal with Public Sphere Projects, Philip Barash, has been working with Ennis and the NWI Forum on this program. His excitement stems from this year’s strategy being unlike anything that’s been done before.

“We’re releasing the first ever arts and culture strategy for the Region,” Barash said. “Heather and her team at the NWI Forum have been the visionaries behind this whole process. At Public Sphere Projects, we have strategic insight, national expertise, and some community engagement muscle. Together, we’ve been able to walk in step for the past nine months.”

Barash believes that there’s a lot of potential to incorporate arts and culture to the strategic plan in a way that benefits every county in Northwest Indiana.

“Arts and culture have been underrepresented in the economic development strategy in the Region for a while,” Barash said. “What’s been very striking for our team working in the Region for the past few months is the sheer abundance and variety of arts, culture, and creative practices across these seven counties. From landmark institutions of higher education to the ballet to art centers, the artists are diligently working to make the Region a better place to live.”

 The Lake County Advancement has identified social, economic, and policy issues for decades in Northwest Indiana. In recent years, the partnership with the Legacy Foundation has opened a door for this to continue. With the Legacy Foundation having members from organizations like the NWI Forum and Public Sphere Projects who are willing to support the program, it only increases the chance of long-term success in Lake County.

“Having people who are working on these key issues is really valuable to everybody who works in this space, lives in Lake County, and cares about what’s happening,” Anoe said. “This helps us connect with one another about what’s happening in all of our different bubbles. It’s hard to keep up with all of these different projects and initiatives, so by hearing about what’s happening, maybe I can help them move forward. Maybe what they’re working on can tie into what I’m doing. I hope we can continue to share information and take action based on what we’ve learned and discussed at these events.”

Following the program, everyone in attendance was invited to participate in a Q&A with Ennis and Barash.

For more information on the Legacy Foundation, you can visit legacyfdn.org.