My friend and Florida Chamber of Commerce President Mark Wilson likes to say you should always plan with the end in mind, and Broward County has taken that to heart as a Six Pillars Community.
I am chair of the Broward Workshop, a 100-member group of business leaders in the community. We serve as a catalyst to encourage the cooperative effort between various entities working for countywide, specific, long-range common goals. One of the ways we have been able to facilitate and provide solutions for Broward County is by supporting Broward County's status as an official "Six Pillar" Community.
The Six Pillar Plan was launched in 2010 through the Florida Chamber Foundation. It offers local communities a way to plan for their growth. Broward County's future development strategy is now tied to the Six Pillar Plan that charts growth strategy into 2030.
More than 300 community leaders are involved in the project that targets six key areas: Talent Supply and Education, Innovation and Economic Development, Infrastructure and Growth Leadership, Business Climate and Competitiveness, Civic and Governance Systems, and Quality of Life and Quality of Places. The Six Pillar framework serves as an organizing force for strategic planning at local, regional and state levels. Its real power is in the efficiency of harnessing fragmented viewpoints into a common, consistent conversation and delivering results.
After the plan had been in place for a year, the Broward Six Pillars groups sponsored a community event to present a progress report. Business leaders, public officials, non-profit leaders and other interested citizens attended.
As we reviewed the report, it was understood some tactics needed to be short-term to reach long-term goals, but most of the initiatives used tactics that delivered goals in the five-to-seven year range, while the most ambitious plans were looking well into the future with 15 to 20 year plans. The Six Pillars Plan creates an environment within a Six Pillars Community where somebody, or an organization, can stand up and say, "Yes, I'll do that to help secure the future of Broward County!" The Health Planning Council volunteered to take the Quality of Life Pillar and they're working on that.
Now, in the 18 months since Broward County developed and implemented the plan, a coalition of businesses, organizations, nonprofits and academic institutions have reported more than 40 percent of the 400 original goals outlined in the first year have been completed.
For example, Broward College is adding information technology and clinical laboratory technician degrees which mandate more study in the STEM field (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math). Most importantly, our county has experienced the benefit of new jobs and new business growth, which is being accomplished in part by the availability of loans and resources to small businesses. Plus, the Broward Metropolitan Planning Organization has identified $100 million in new construction projects for pedestrians and cyclists, a move that creates more jobs and adds to the Broward County quality of life.
One key aspect of the Florida Chamber Foundation's Six Pillars program is the Florida Scorecard, a measuring system designed to track the effectiveness of the Six Pillars for Broward County and Florida. By tracking the metrics of new and existing programs, we know what is working and what needs improvement. Broward, as a Six Pillars Community, can now create a roadmap that encourages all companies to participate. The result for Broward County is a much more cohesive community with a brighter future.
This morning, the Broward Workshop will host the sixth annual State of the County Address. The keynote address is being presented by former Gov. Jeb Bush. Plus, Tony Carvajal, Executive Vice President of the Florida Chamber Foundation will give a presentation on the Broward County Economic Benchmarks. The presentation will highlight the Six Pillars Plan, showcase the future goals of Broward County and weave together all the projects we've been working on over the past year and a half.
By putting we have plans in place to mitigate shortfalls and gaps now, we enable the leaders and residents of Broward county to compete with other areas for jobs, business development, and a more rich and vibrant quality of life.
With the Six Pillars Plan, and as an official Six Pillars Community, Broward County is on solid foundation to move into the future.
Originally published in the Sun Sentinel.
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.
