SOREDI Receives NADO 2019 Impact Award

WASHINGTON, DC – Southern Oregon Regional Economic Development, Inc. based in Medford, OR has received a 2019 Aliceann Wohlbruck Impact Award from the National Association of Development Organizations (NADO) for the SOREDI Quest project.

SOREDI Quest was a project designed to lead students in a scavenger hunt that would take them into profiles of some of the world-class companies that have chosen to locate in Southern Oregon. They learned about the history of the companies, the products they make, what makes the company unique in the world, the types of professionals they employ, and why they chose to do business here in Southern Oregon. It concluded with a video contest that challenged students to capture the essence of a company in a compelling one minute video and compete for scholarships based on views. Our intent was to inspire students as to the contributions the company’s make to our every-day lives and the quality of their products. We wanted to foster a community pride that would motivate students to remain in our region post-graduation and identify local career opportunities that fit their ambitions.

NADO is a Washington, DC-based membership association of regional development organizations that promote programs and policies that strengthen local governments, communities, and economies through regional cooperation, program delivery, and comprehensive strategies.  The association’s Impact Awards program recognizes regional development organizations and their partners for improving the economic and community competitiveness of our nation’s regions and local communities.

Award-winning projects were honored during NADO’s 2019 Annual Training Conference, held October 19-22 in Reno, NV.  The 2019 class of award recipients consists of 100 projects from 66 organizations spanning 24 states.  These projects are presented in an interactive “Story Map” developed by NADO and CivicLens that includes project summaries and partners.  The Story Map is available online at:  https://www.nado.org/impactawards/.

“The Aliceann Wohlbruck Impact Awards program is an opportunity each year for NADO to publicly recognize the important services that regional development organizations deliver to their local communities,” said 2018-2019 NADO President Scott Koons, executive director of the North Central Florida Regional Planning Council, located in Gainesville.  “The projects awarded have made significant impacts on their regions and demonstrate the diversity of programs and resources provided by regional development organizations across the country.”

The NADO Impact Awards are presented in honor of the late Aliceann Wohlbruck who was NADO’s first executive director and served 24 years as a tireless champion for regional approaches to economic development in rural communities.For more information about this award-winning project, contact Colleen Padilla, SOREDI’s Executive Director, at colleen@soredi.org, or by calling 541-773-8946.

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Since 1967 the National Association of Development Organizations (NADO) has provided advocacy, education, networking, and research for the national network of 540 regional development organizations. NADO members provide professional, programmatic, and technical assistance to over 2,300 counties and 15,000 municipalities.