Fund President Brad Whitehead is quoted in this feature on Akron's future.“For some time, Greater Akron has been a brighter spot in Northeast Ohio,” he says.
As founding president and CEO of Birthing Beautiful Communities, Christin Farmer is committed to reducing the infant mortality rate among African-American babies in Cleveland, a reality she says is directly linked to systemic racial exclusion -- or long-standing, institutional practices that have excluded community members based on race. In 2015, Cuyahoga County’s infant mortality rate was almost double the national rate, with African-American babies in the region dying at three times the rate of white babies. Birthing Beautiful Communities is working to eliminate this problem and build equity, primarily by supporting families and advocating for systemic change.
Akron Public Schools Superintendent David James cites The Two Tomorrows report in his State of the Schools address. “We must ensure that our economy grows in ways that benefit everyone," he said.
Crain's announces Burton D. Morgan Foundation's latest round of grants, which included $500,000 over three years to support our philanthropic collaborative.
"Akron is one of the places that’s doing somewhat better than the region as a whole, at least in the last five years," says Fund for Our Economic Future Director of Job Preparation Janine Kaiser, in this story on WKSU.
Forward-thinking regions across the country are grappling with how to achieve more inclusive economies. Part of the work rests on better measuring the progress communities wish to see. Read the latest piece in our Two Tomorrows series in Crain's Cleveland Business on our Growth & Opportunity scorecard.
"Long and costly commutes. Workers who don’t always show up on time. Poor air quality. Strained municipal budgets. These are the realities for many workers, companies and municipalities, the result of fragmented, unaligned development decisions throughout Northeast Ohio," writes Kathy Ames Carr in this Crain's piece. But there is a way forward: Job hubs.
When it comes to economic development, Sheehan Hannan writes in this opinion piece for Cleveland magazine, elected officeholders are too willing to cede leadership to the business community.
“'There’s a broad-based recognition that what’s happening isn’t good enough,' both for the individuals being left on the economic sidelines and for the region’s economy overall, said Bethia Burke, the Fund’s vice president. 'We’re not seeing what we want to see.'"
