2025 Owen County Quality of Place & Workforce Attraction Survey out now

In 2019, all 11 Indiana Uplands counties came together through the Regional Opportunity Initiatives (ROI) Ready Communities initiative to develop and implement projects and programs that build quality of place, grow regional capacity for workforce development and attraction and improve attributes and amenities that make the Indiana Uplands a great place to live, work and play.

When the Ready Communities initiative launched initially, each county assembled a Quality of Place and Workforce Attraction Committee (QPAT) made up of stakeholders from their county. These teams were charged with developing a prioritized plan that identified key areas of focus as well as projects and programs aligned with the plan.

With plans completed, counties across the region were equipped to pursue resources to activate their plans. For example, ROI offered three rounds of quality of place grants. Owen County received funds for the South Main Street portion of the MYPath Trail System and improved sidewalks, planted trees, and installed streetlights, benches and signage. Communities also used their Quality of Place and Workforce Attraction plans to inform applications for READI 1.0 and 2.0 funding. County plans can be found on the ROI website.

Six years later, Regional Opportunity Initiatives (ROI) has provided grant funding for county teams to update our Quality of Place and Workforce Attraction plans. Your participation in this short survey will shape the direction of Owen County's plan. To take the survey, visit: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/G3SMZQZ

While our communities and schools are facing challenges, the update of these plans will allow each county to identify priorities and target strategies for sustaining regional momentum. With plans in hand, counties and communities will be better equipped to maintain momentum, seek resources and be ready when opportunities present themselves at the regional, state and national levels.