New Year. One Step Closer to 2025...

Happy New Year! Wow. It’s already 2009. It seems only like yesterday that I was talking to Russell about this venture of starting Greenville Forward. He had an idea a little over 3 years ago to start a non-profit, from scratch, to make sure that a dynamic plan like Vision 2025 didn’t sit on the shelf. To make sure that there was an organization dedicated to “waking up every morning thinking about the Vision.”

Without this dedicated organization, would the tasks of Vision 2025 become accomplishments for Greenville County? Yes. Many of them would. But, what about the truly challenging line items? Challenging items like, “Greenville County public and private sector leaders and residents welcome and integrate all its residents into a unified community whose diverse members and populations have full equality”, or “Our brightest and most talented young people choose to stay in Greenville, or return after spending time in other parts of the world.” This organizations mission is not to take credit for these successes, but to ensure that someone (or two someone’s) is striving to make sure these items are at the top of the list. That they are important to concentrate on when thinking about how Greenville will look in the future.

These examples encompass over 40 pages, ranging from Families and Social Services to Sense of Place. What if “the availability of safe housing affordability is directly tied to the demographics of Greenville, (for example, if 20% of the population is considered low income, then 20% of the housing stock is affordable to those people)? What if there was a consolidated or re-aligned government in Greenville County?

Greenville is a wonderful place to live, and it has many different organizations that strive, each day, to ensure that our community is taken care of. Greenville Forward is not around to duplicate those efforts, but rather help those organizations accomplish their goals by helping establish connections and being part of the conversation. Greenville Forward’s mission is to see Vision 2025 accomplished. The Vision can only be as successful as the individuals and organizations involved in the process. By conducting community-wide assessments, developing reports and maintaining its Task Forces, Greenville Forward has begun to solidify its place in the community.

In 3 years of Greenville Forward, and 4 years since Vision 2025 was presented, some of the items mentioned have already been completed. That does not mean they have been marked off the list, though.

• Public Arts Funded by 1% of Construction Costs. This was approved by the City of Greenville: pending introduction and approval in other municipalities and the County.
  
• Bob Jones Museum & Art Gallery at Heritage Green. Opened in April 2008.
  
• Upstate Shakespeare Festival is a Model for Outdoor Programming. 2009 will be its 15th year, and continually plays to crowds exceeding 1,000 people.
  
• International Arts Festival. Artisphere is going into its 4th year. After only 2 years, it earned a “winner” in Greg Lawler’s Art Fair Sourcebook and was ranked 37th out of 600 festivals.
  
• School Construction Plan. 70 Greenville County schools have been either rebuilt or renovated.
  
• Downtown Baseball Stadium. Over 1,000,000 people have attended games in the Drive’s 3 years.
  
• Funding for County Parks Plan. TRAC (Tourism Recreation Athletics Coalition) Plan passed County Council and is providing 2% hospitality tax. Funding is expected to exceed $6 million each year.
  
• Health Assessment. The third health assessment in ten years was released in October. Results show that although the number of facilities in Greenville has improved, 37% of Greenvillians are medically underserved.
  

So, where do we go from here? What are the accomplishments we want to write down in 2010? 2011? 2012? 2025? What about some of these?

• All gateways into the each city in the County feature significant arts features that clearly define who we are and what we value.
  
• An affordable insurance package is available for all professional artists.
  
• Greenville provides world-class education that includes comprehensive curricula on language, culture, gender equality, global awareness and international exchange programs.
  
• Students learn, via satellite, from professors in foreign counties in the areas of culture and the humanities.
  
• Greenville is the center of regional economy in the Upstate.
  
• Greenville ranks in the top ten regionally in the number or independent, high-growth companies.
  
• Greenville is a learning community.
  
• Every child has an excellent teacher supported by the community.
  
• Greenville is the State leader in environmental stewardship and recognized as a leading sustainable community, where people work and live in close harmony with a clean and healthy environment.
  
• Greenville is the “Greenest Greenville" in the Nation.
  
• There is a vibrant, 24-7 downtown culture, anchored by substantial residential options for people of every economic stratum, and supports local businesses throughout County.
  
• Everyone has a home.
  
• Obesity among all Greenvillians is reduced.
  
• 50% of Greenville County’s top 100 employers and 75% of Greenville County High Schools have smoking cessation programs on site.
  
• Greenville has implemented city and county efforts to project an image as an important international community welcoming international trade and investment and possessing a vibrant cultural life celebrating its international trade, investment and culture.
  
• Mill Villages serve as models of smart growth, with mixed use zoning, racially diverse residents and multiple housing options.
  
• Public transportation across the County is available to all citizens.

So, how do we get this done? Continue moving forward. Vision 2025 serves as a plan for the future. Is it set in stone? No. As we grow as a community, the Vision adapts to our needs and goals. It is the job of Greenville Forward to house the Vision and make sure Greenville is on the path toward accomplishment, but it’s the job of the Greenville Community to ensure that the Vision becomes a reality.

Here’s to 2009 and many more successes.