GREAT LAKES BAY FOUNDATION

Operation 40k - operation 40k is an initiative inside the great lakes bay regional alliance aimed at growing the population of the great lakes bay region by 40,000 people by the year 2040. The initiative has two major components. The first is to identify paths to population growth including job creation, retainment of students from 4 year higher education institutions in the great lakes bay region, bringing talent that has left the are back to the region, and building a culture that is conducive to welcoming new americans. Secondly, operation 40k is looking to address barriers to population growth including housing, childcare, regional transit, and access to broadband.

Sustainability the great lakes bay foundation works in a regional, collaborative manner to adopt more sustainability programs and to identify potential partners who will take up sustainability initiatives within their organization. The foundation works to build pilot programs in sustainability that can be replicated across the region. The foundation also works to identify opportunities regionwide where sustainability can be implemented in concert with other organizations in the great lakes bay region. Health & economic initiative - the great lakes bay health and economic initiative, collaboration between the great lakes bay regional alliance (glbra) and the michigan health improvement alliance (mihia), has partnered to deliver improved health and sustained economic growth in great lakes bay. We've contracted with a consulting group that is helping us develop a strategic plan to identify a strategic portfolio of interventions to improve the region's health and economy. Art wave - artwave is a multi-year celebration of the high-quality art and entertainment choices found in the great lakes bay region. Each month, artwave spotlights events and activities in one of the counties in our region, promoting awareness and encouraging everyone that great arts and entertainment from music concerts and museum exhibits to sporting events and film festivals can be found right here. The artwave campaign focuses on one county at a time, on a predetermined schedule selected to coincide with already planned activities/exhibitions. Institute for leaders/ambassadors - the great lakes bay region includes bay, isabella, midland, and saginaw counties. These four counties are natural partners by geography. Increasingly, that partnership is enhanced through efforts focused on specific issues and goals. Combining this natural partnership with prepared leaders, we can accomplish great things. Our region can only be strengthened through the leadership of individuals who are knowledgeable, informed, and ready to advocate and bring resources to the table. Developing such leaders is accomplished through the great lakes bay regional alliance institute for leaders. The institute for leaders curriculum expands participants' knowledge of the great lakes bay region, and introduces powerful, successful scenarios and concepts from other regions or at the state level. The institute for leaders begins in january with a class and orientation dinner. The class meets eight times, january through june, taking july and august off, and will wrap up for the year in october. Each session focuses on a different topic such as economic sustainability, social issues, government, and offers a combination of top-notch presenters, tours, discussions and networking. Throughout the institute for leaders, participants are expected to apply their advanced leadership skills and knowledge to plan creative approaches to opportunities existing in the great lakes bay region; accordingly, our curriculum includes a trained facilitator to aid in this process. We now boast over 280 graduates of the institute for leaders. These ambassadors are our allies and are the key to the individual communities' effective collaboration on any issue or opportunity for the great lakes bay region. The great lakes bay regional alliance institute for leaders represents a long-term investment in providing the leadership essential to creating positive individual and collective futures of bay, isabella, midland and, saginaw counties. Attraction - the great lakes bay foundation works in a regional, collaborative manner to identify leads and prospects across the globe that would consider opening a facility or business in the great lakes bay region. This includes working with site selectrs, attending various global trade shows, hosting prospective companies in the region, and working with companies/parties to identify potential leads.