SOCHE News Brief

Creative Region Initiative Community Catalysts

Dayton, Ohio (February 29, 2008)– The Southwestern Ohio Council for Higher Education (SOCHE) announced today that 32 community catalysts were selected to lead the Creative Region Initiative, a regional collaboration to foster an environment that retains a talented workforce, attracts new talent from around the globe, and empowers the region, giving emerging leaders the tools to generate economic prosperity, build community vibrancy, and improve quality of life.

The goal of the selection committee was to build a diverse team of volunteers that would engage the broader community in driving programs aimed at fostering and expanding our creative base. Cathy Ponitz, chair of the selection committee, said, “We are thrilled with the response from the community around the Creative Region initiative. We had 128 outstanding applicants. From those, we selected 32 catalysts representing a diverse cross-section of profession, age, ethnicity, geography and experience. We think they will be an amazing team who will produce meaningful, measurable results. They are eager to get started—and the region will definitely benefit from their efforts!”

A Catalyst is “a dedicated community volunteer committed for one year to educate, engage and enable fellow citizens to build a more authentic, sustainable and prosperous region through the Creative Region Initiative,” said Sean Creighton, Executive Director of SOCHE. The role of the Catalyst includes:

• Studying readings provided by the Creative Class Group
• Completing Discovery Assignments
• Attending periodic Team Meetings
• Participating in the 2-Day 4T’s Seminar with the Creative Class Group
• Working weekly with a team to build a community initiative based on findings

The following individuals were selected for the role of community Catalyst:

• Sarah Ammar, Communications Specialist, Avetec, Inc.
• Tokz Awoshakin, Executive Director, Civic Life International, Inc.
• Linda Burrs, President and Principal Consultant, Step-up-to-Success Diversity Education
• Susan Byrnes, Director of ArtStreet, University of Dayton
• Catherine Crosby, Assistant Director, Human Relations Council, City of Dayton
• Bing Davis, Artist, Consultant, Educator, and Community Activist, Willis Bing Davis Art Studio
• Kate Ervin, Planner, City of Dayton
• Drew Fuller, Attorney for Government Contracts and Litigation, Sebaly, Shillito and Dyer
• Theresa Gasper, President, Full Circle Development
• Lisa Grigsby, Executive Director, Miami Valley Restaurant Association
• Dusty Hall, Program Development Manager, Miami Conservancy District
• Larry Jenkins, ASC Engineering Directorate, US Air Force
• Matthew Joseph, Commissioner, City of Dayton
• Marilyn Klaben, Education Director, The Human Race Theatre Company
• Patrick Martin, Vice President of Finance, MCM Electronics
• Scott Murphy, Aerospace Engineer, Air Force Research Lab
• Ojustwin Naik, Corporate Senior Product Manager, Teradata
• Bob Parks, Owner and President, The Marketing Formula
• Bill Pote, President, ResConnex, Inc.
• Anne Rasmussen, Contractor, Dayton Early College Academy
• Josh Rauch, Student at University of Dayton, and Intern at the Mathile Family Foundation
• Ron Rollins, Managing Editor of Content, Dayton Daily News/Cox Ohio Publishing
• Carol Sampson, Director of Community Development, Wright Dunbar, Inc.
• Dave Seyer, Vice President of Development, Culture Works
• Ryan Shapiro, Research Coordinator, Wright State Physicians, Department of Surgery, Division of Plastic Surgery
• Andy Snow, Photographer, Andy Snow Photography
• Sally Struthers, Dean of Liberal Arts, Communication and Social Sciences, Sinclair Community College
• Thomas Thickel, President, Levin Porter Associates Inc.
• Debra Wilburn, Assistant Director of Career Services, Wright State University
• Art Williams, Manager of Business Services, Woolpert, Inc.
• Sharon Williamson, Director of Strategic Communications, WorkflowOne
• Stephanie Yenn, Training and Development Manager, Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce

Broader Community Participation
A press conference will be held on March 6, 4:00pm, at the Cannery Art and Design Center, 434 E Third Street, Dayton. This is an opportunity for the broader public to hear the results of the work among the community Catalysts and Richard Florida’s Creative Class Group. As well, it is an opportunity for the broader community to get involved in an initiative.

Creative Region Initiative
The Creative Region Initiative is the culmination of a yearlong effort hosted by SOCHE in cooperation with over twenty area organizations. A SOCHE task force developed the recommendation to engage Richard Florida’s Creative Class Group as the vehicle for building the Creative Region Initiative and involving the broader community. Since Richard Florida introduced his first book, “The Rise of the Creative Class,” there has been a growing understanding of how regions and cities can build their economies by targeting the needs and preferences of Dr. Florida’s defined set of workers – the Creative Class. This class of workers is, according to Florida, a key to the future of any region hoping to take advantage of the changes that are afoot across the global economy. Based on Florida’s cutting edge theories and research, creative workers are people whose jobs involve “thinking for a living.” They come from all fields, including technology, research and design, arts and culture, medicine, education and professional occupations. Creative sector workers are estimated to increase by 20% in the next decade; outpacing all other sectors.

Florida’s research indicates workers in the creative sector choose to live and work in areas rich with talent, tolerance, technology and territorial assets. These aspects are referred to as the four T’s and are defined as such:

• Talent: Innovators, thinkers and doers who contribute to the growth of regional economies.
• Tolerance: Inclusiveness and active acceptance of people from all walks of life.
• Technology: Investments in innovation and cutting-edge technology.
• Territorial Assets: Unique features of a region that act as magnets for talent.

Who are the Creative Class and why do they matter?
The Creative Class, as originally defined by Richard Florida, is 40 million strong, making up 30 percent of the U.S. workforce, with 50% of wages earned and controlling nearly 70% of discretionary spending in the US. That is over $500 billion in purchasing power annually! This consumer group, consisting of scientists, engineers, managers, innovators and people in research and development, as well as artists, writers and musicians, are the most educated and demanding consumers in the marketplace.

About SOCHE
Founded in 1967, the Southwestern Ohio Council for Higher Education is a consortium of colleges and universities dedicated to advancing higher education in the region through active collaboration, resource and knowledge building, and effective professional development programs. For more information about SOCHE and the Creative Region Initiative, visit www.soche.org.

###