Published: August 01, 2009 10:32 pm         

Dixie Kinard: Dalton ready to build a new, strong foundation

The Grow Greater Dalton Plan was officially introduced to our community in a press conference at Dalton State College on Monday. The photo on the front page of this newspaper did not clearly show the room full of citizens who believe that we have to make a more progressive step forward with a pro active plan that will grow and diversify the economic base in our community.

Present were city and county officials, our elected Georgia legislators, small business owners, non-profits, school board representative and industry leaders from the carpet industry. This is a united effort and a well planned approach to strengthen our community and help determine the future of its citizens.

Everyone is at the table. This effort is headed by our Chamber and its staff and board of directors along with the Dalton Whitfield Joint Development Authority, the Downtown Dalton Development Authority and the Dalton Convention and Visitors Bureau as well as small and large business representatives. The county board chairman and mayor of Dalton have helped lead the way.

The Grow Greater Dalton plan did not just happen. Like Target Tomorrow in l996, months of planning and discussion have gone on for over a year. Community leaders and officials selected the best group available to lead and guide our community. We listened to what other communities have tried with success and with failure. We chose to follow those successful communities like Chattanooga, Gainesville and Rome and decided to do an even better job with Grow Greater Dalton.

A few said that is was not the best time to start such a plan, but when is the perfect time? We know that the true worth of character is shown in the hard times and this is true for individuals, companies and communities.

The people and companies supporting Grow Greater Dalton are sincerely passionate about this community and its citizens. We know that economic development is directly connected to the quality of life of the citizens of a community. This plan will help secure a better quality of life for our citizens and as the plan states, “The Future is NOW.”

Sometimes we need to be reminded about how great our community really is. In a recent letter to the editor a newcomer, Al McGovern, reminded us of all the reasons he chose Dalton as his retirement destination. The list was a long one — with amenities we can be proud — a list we should all be grateful for.

In the last year our community has had the privilege to host Leadership Georgia and the Georgia Economic Development board and staff. Both groups left with the same impression, “Wow, what an energetic and progressive community.” We know that when we all pull together and join in partnership for a good cause, great things happen in this community.

Target Tomorrow gave us a guide for what our citizens wanted our community to look like in the future … it was full of hopes and dreams and many of these have been realized as we look around our community. Now is the time to move forward and address today’s community needs.

The Grow Greater Dalton plan is a vision of a better Dalton/Whitfield. How can we all be a part of making this plan work? We can start by being a responsible citizen and offering our talents to organizations that improve the lives of the citizens of our community. We can start by listening to each other ( Dr. Jim Hawkins of Dalton Public Schools introduced two great books to our community this summer in his reading blog, “Live First, Work Second” by Rebecca Ryan and “The Element” by Dr. Ken Robinson)

These books remind us to listen to the voices of our young people. We need to know what they are looking for in a community in the hope that they will want to move back home. We also need to acknowledge the passion within us to more fully realize the potential in each of us. We can also share with others the great reasons we call Dalton/Whitfield home. We can welcome newcomers as neighbors and encourage the visitors to our community to make this community their home. We can all make a difference, as many of you already do.

On Aug. 31 the University of Georgia Archway program will conduct a community wide forum at The Northwest Georgia Trade and Convention Center 6-8:30 p.m. I hope you will join us in the next step of the Grow Greater Plan because the future is now!





Dixie H Kinard is a former chairman of the board of the Dalton-Whitfield Chamber of Commerce.

     

• Click to discuss this story with other readers on our forums.