RAEDC has been growing steadily in the Rockford Area for 10 years.
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Attracting and Retaining Talent


 


ARTRA Steering Committee

Steve Bois, Rockford Area REALTORS
Mary Cacioppi, Boylan Business & Professional Network
Denise Delanty, Rockford Park District
Janyce Fadden, Rockford Area Economic Development Council
Einar Forsman, Rockford Chamber of Commerce
John Groh, Rockford Area Convention & Visitors Bureau
Stacy Kiejko, Rockford Area Convention & Visitors Bureau
Michael King, Rockford Area Chapter of Society for Human Resource Management
Tonya Lamia, Rockford Area Economic Development Council
Mike Loven, Next Rockford
Kelle Marsalis, Ignite
Reid Montgomery, City of Rockford
Sue Mroz, Winnebago County Regional Planning
Anne E. O'Keefe, Rockford Area Arts Council
Sarah Petrovich, Rockford Area Career Clearinghouse
Bill Roop, Alpine Bank


ARTRA Resources

Young Professional Groups in Rockford


ARTRA HISTORY

Rebecca Ryan from Next Generation Consulting served as Keynote Speaker at Rockford Area Economic Development Council Annual Meeting in 2005. $65,304 has been raised to date to implement recommendations.

 

  • Shift occurred in economic development Strategy to include attracting & retaining workforce talent
  • Fund was established at the Community Foundation of Northern Illinois
  • ARTRA Steering Committee was formed
  • $50,000 was raised by the Steering Committee for Rebecca Ryan’s “Handprint” report. To read the report, click here.

Rebecca Ryan was hired in 2006 to “Handprint” Rockford’s assets. 21 recommendations were received from Rebecca Ryan in five categories in 2007:

  • Make Rockford an Urban Destination
  • Connect Young Professionals to Each Other/Rockford
  • Pursue Economic Strategy to Attract/Retain PBS Jobs
  • Design/Execute “Why Rockford?” Boomerang Campaign
  • Instill a Sense of Pride in the Rockford Community



2008 ARTRA OUTCOMES

Make Rockford an Urban Destination

  • River District welcomed residential, commercial, and retail development,  including a $10 Million investment at 303 North Main and the renovation of Garrison School into loft apartments and condominiums
  •  City of Rockford added eight miles of commuter bike lanes
  • Downtown Streetscape Plan for Main Street was approved to eliminate the one-way street and make improvements to the street, sidewalks, landscaping, and lighting
  • City of Rockford reported that over $24 Million was invested in the River’s Edge program
  • Public meetings were attended for AMTRAK and Northern Illinois Commuter Transportation Initiative
  • City of Rockford funded The Element (Rockford Arts & Lifestyle Network)
  • Rockford Area Transportation Study was replaced with the Rockford Metropolitan Agency for Planning (RMAP)
  • City of Rockford updated its zoning to allow for C4 commercial districts (mixed-use)
  • Rockford Charter School Initiative was launched with three Charters granted to date
  • City of Rockford secured Historic Preservation Assessment Grant

Connect Young Professionals to Each Other/Rockford

  • A new broad-based Young Professionals Organization (Ignite) was launched and a full-time Executive Director was hired
  • Rockford Chamber of Commerce held the first annual 40 Under 40 celebration
  • Next Rockford grew to over 100 GenX/GenY members
  • Rockford Chamber of Commerce launched a Candidate School

Pursue Economic Strategy to Attract/Retain PBS Jobs

  • Rockford Area Career Clearinghouse was launched
  • Walter Wayne Commercial Real Estate announced plans for Cherrywood Office Campus
  • RAEDC’s updated customer service target industry analysis shows readiness for higher level jobs

Design/Execute Why Rockford? Boomerang Campaign

Hosted the second annual LiveBig Weekend:

  • Jobapalooza welcome over 550 attendees and 43 registered companies recruited for 350 open positions; one-third of attendees were Boomerangers; as of March 2009, over 100 interviews were scheduled and over 15 hires have been made
  • Downtown Walking Tours hosted over 65 participants

Instill a Sense of Pride in the Rockford Community

  • Year of Innovation was launched and planning completed for 2009 celebrations focused on entrepreneurship, environment, and engagement



2009 ARTRA STRATEGIES

In 2009, ARTRA will work to educate the community about the ARTRA collaboration and will serve as the coordinating council for the Rockford Region’s efforts to attract and retain the next generation of talent. ARTRA will also work to market the mission and synergy between initiatives, including the Rockford Area Career Clearinghouse, Ignite, and Next Rockford.

Make Rockford an Urban Destination

  • Support efforts of the River District Association
  • Support efforts of The Element (Rockford Arts & Lifestyle Network)

Connect Young Professionals to Each Other/Rockford

  • Assist with fundraising efforts for Ignite
  • Support Next Rockford in its advocacy efforts

Pursue Economic Strategy to Attract/Retain PBS Jobs

  •  Assist with fundraising efforts for the Rockford Area Career Clearinghouse


Design/Execute Why Rockford? Boomerang Campaign

  •  Facilitate LiveBig Weekend 2009 and the Jobapalooza Professional Career Fair

Instill a Sense of Pride in the Rockford Community

  • Support the Year of Innovation