What do you think lies ahead for Norfolk and Madison County?
Are you willing to put aside - for a while anyway - your natural sense of skepticism and practicality, and do a bit of dreaming?
Are you interested in learning more about trends developing across the world and trying to imagine how they might impact Northeast Nebraska?
Or, better yet, how Norfolk and Madison County could capitalize on them?
That's what the Visioning 2026 project is all about, and next Monday will provide an opportunity for local and area residents to get in on the ground floor of the process.
Dr. Marv Cetron - identified by U.S. News and World Report as one of the nation's leading futurists - will be in Norfolk to speak at a free symposium at 7 p.m. at the Johnny Carson Theatre.
During his 20-year career with the U.S. Navy, Cetron was in charge of the design and development of the most comprehensive technological forecast process in the United States. Since then, he has served as a consultant to firms like Apple Computers, General Motors, Xerox and IBM. He's also worked with the governments of several countries.
His focus now - as president of Forecasting International - is to provide industry, governments and communities with the benefits and insights of an international group of experts.
But don't expect a canned speech come next Monday night.
Since agreeing to come to Norfolk as part of the Visioning 2026 project, Cetron has spent time identifying key trends that he thinks might have some applicability to Norfolk and Madison County.
A series of articles in the Daily News this week will shed light on some of those trends. Even more information is available on the project's Web site located at www.visioning2026.com.
If you're excited about the future and what it could mean for Norfolk and Madison County, then attending Monday's speech by Cetron would be an excellent way to fuel that excitement.
If you're a bit intimidated by the future and what it could mean for Norfolk and Madison County, then attending his speech would be a good idea, too.
Either way, the future is coming. It's time to start becoming prepared.
NORFOLK - Marvin Cetron says rural communities don't have to keep constructing buildings to attract people. The nationally known futurist tells "The X" there is a cheaper way to get new residents. He says more people need to get on-line as well as into distance learning. Cetron says it's "clicks, not bricks." He will be in Norfolk next week as part of "Visioning 2026", a community-wide project that seeks to shape the future of Norfolk and Madison County. Cenron will speak to the public Monday night at seven at the Johnny Carson Theatre. He'll also address a group of local businessmen at a Tuesday breakfast meeting.
Approved a $31,350 grant request from the Building Entrepreneurial Communities Act fund to assist with the “Visioning 2026’’ project that involves the city, Madison County, Norfolk Public Schools and Northeast Community College.
July 29, 2006 NORFOLK - The community of Norfolk has contributed another $5,000 dollars to "Visioning 2026" -- an effort to identify trends, challenges and strategies to prepare Norfolk and Madison County for the future. Norfolk Chamber of Commerce Leadership Coordinator Jennifer Adams tells "The X" the $5,350 dollars raised in the community will be matched by another five-thousand dollars by local business owners Mark and Kathy Hall. The City of Norfolk, Madison County and Northeast Community College have already contributed $5,000 dollars each to the project. The Norfolk Public School District is expected to contribute the same amount in August. Adams says they also plan to apply for a grant through the state's "Building Entrepreneurial Communities Act" that will match community funding by up to $75,000 dollars. --KEXL radio website.
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Visioning matching grant challenge
Special to the Daily News
Mark Hall of Norfolk already has devoted hours of time and effort to the Visioning 2026 project.
Now he and his wife are making a financial contribution to it, too.
The Halls have pledged $1,000 to Visioning 2026 — a community-wide project that seeks to shape the future of Norfolk and Madison County — and another $5,000 in matching funds.
“One way that we can create a positive future for Norfolk and Madison County is by understanding the future trends that will affect our community,” said Hall, who owns and operates Tru Mark, which markets athletic field marking equipment. “In the visioning process, we plan to clearly identify the challenges and opportunities on the horizon and put together a community plan to address them.”
But undertaking such a project requires financial support.
Madison County, the City of Norfolk, the Norfolk Public Schools and Northeast Community College are partners in the project and have been asked to contribute $5,000 each in seed money.
A grant is being sought with the help of the Northeast Nebraska Economic Development District that could provide additional matching funds.
To potentially qualify for as many matching grant funds as possible, Hall said he hopes a total of $11,000 can be raised by Friday, July 28, from individuals and businesses in Norfolk and Madison County. He and his wife, Kathy, will provide $5,000 in matching funds if another $5,000 from private donations is raised by then, making for a total of $11,000, including the initial $1,000 donation.
“Visioning 2026 is our community’s best effort to foresee the future and ensure that our community is well-positioned for it,” Hall said.
The project was initiated by the Daily News and also includes the Norfolk Area Chamber of Commerce and the Leadership Norfolk program and its alumni. Hall is a graduate of the Leadership Norfolk program and has been extensively involved in planning efforts.
Visioning 2026 will include the formation of dialogue groups, a symposium featuring a nationally known futurist and focus groups that will allow all interested Madison County residents to offer opinions on future goals and projects.
If individuals or businesses are interested in making a contribution to the program to help qualify for more grant funds, they can contact the Norfolk chamber at 371-4862 by 5 p.m. Friday, July 28.
June 30, 2006, Norfolk Daily News, Visioning 2026 Booth at local celebration announcement. Signup opportunity for dialogue group process at Big Bang Boom July 4th celebration.
NORFOLK - A local group that will kick off an effort to explore the future of the Norfolk area wants to hear from local citizens. Members of "Visioning 2026" will have a booth at Saturday's Big Bang Boom celebration at Skyview Lake to provide more information and get people involved in the process. Norfolk and Madison County officials have already contributed $5,000 dollars each to "Visioning 2026." The Norfolk Board of Education and the Northeast Community College Board of Governors will be approached in July to to contribute as well.
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June 28, 2006 as reported by KEXL Radio Norfolk
MADISON - Two local governmental entities have contributed $5,000 ach to an effort to explore the future of Norfolk and Northeast Nebraska. The Madison County Board of Commissioners has joined the Norfolk City Council in contributing to "Visioning 2026" -- an effort to study what the region's need may be over the next two decades. Members of Leadership Norfolk Alumni also plan to ask the Norfolk Board of Education and the Northeast Community College Board of Governors for contributions to finance "Visioning 2026."
In 1986, it’s doubtful people imagined they would be living; just 20 years later; in a world of iPods, wireless Internet and $2.70 per gallon gasoline prices.
So there should be no doubt that the Norfolk and Madison County of 2026 will not be the same as the world today.
“It just can’t be,” said Jennifer Adams, a Norfolk Area Chamber of Commerce staff member who is helping to coordinate a project called “Visioning 2026.”
While it can be difficult for many to imagine what the world will be like even a year from now, the goal of the project is to help residents of Norfolk and Madison County think about the future differently and prepare for the next 20 years.
The idea is that the visioning process may be a key to Norfolk’s future success, especially in a world where the rate of change has become faster than ever before.
“The hope is that the community can look at changes and transformation and trends in a positive light and try to plan for those in the future, so that the community is preparing itself to take advantage of these trends,” said Mark Hall of Norfolk, another one of the coordinators of the project.
The project’s impetus came when Kent Warneke, editor of the Daily News, called together representatives from Madison County, the Norfolk Area Chamber of Commerce, the Norfolk Public Schools, the City of Norfolk and Northeast Community College to discuss coordinating a long-term planning process for Norfolk and the area.
That core group of individuals decided to ask members and alumni of the Norfolk Leadership program to develop and spearhead the process. Adams works with the program as part of her chamber responsibilities, and Hall, a Norfolk businessman, has served as president of the alumni group.
It was a natural fit because Leadership Norfolk participants already had been exposed to the visioning process and worked with Rick Smyre, a nationally known futurist.
Adams emphasized that visioning is not the same as strategic planning because it’s not limited to outlining the strengths, weaknesses and potential improvement projects of a community or county. Instead, it incorporates trends involving education, energy and transportation and other areas.
Ultimately, the visioning process helps encourage and equip participants to strategize for the future with those trends in mind.
Adams and Hall said the visioning process is necessary because change is no longer gradual.
“The magnitude of change is so much greater now, and it’s coming so much quicker,” Hall said.
Adams said Norfolk is facing many challenges -- out-migration, an aging population and a rural location, for example -- that must be addressed.
“It’s not just that we’re going to be dealing with an energy crisis, and it’s not just that we’re dealing with the pandemic flu problem, or it’s not just that we’re just dealing with technology that we don’t understand anymore . . . it’s all of that,” Adams said. “And in the past it’s been kind of incremental . . . but this is all here and this has all got to be dealt with now.”
And if that can be done, the potential opportunities for Norfolk and Madison County are almost countless.
“We’re excited about where Norfolk is, and we want it to be successful in the future,” Adams said.
Adams and Hall said they hope that Visioning 2026 will not only encourage Norfolkans and area residents to develop an interest in the future, but also foster leadership in the community now.
“I would like to say that my kids someday will want to live in Northeast Nebraska -- Norfolk, Nebraska. Can I say that today, that they will want to do that? No,” Hall said.
“I hope we’re going to prepare ourselves, prepare our youth and prepare our grandchildren for that, (so) they can recognize this community as a vibrant community that they could see themselves living in 20 to 30 years from now,” he added.
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Want to learn more?
For more information or to get involved, visit the Norfolk Visioning 2026 Web site at www.norfolkvisioning2026.pbwiki.com, or contact Mark Hall or Jennifer Adams through the Norfolk Area Chamber of Commerce at 371-4862.
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June 5, 2006 at the Norfolk, NE City Council Finance Committee meeting as reported by the Norfolk Daily News.
The Norfolk City Council voted Monday morning to support a plan that could help shape the city’s future.
The council’s finance committee -- consisting of the mayor and council members -- approved a contribution of $5,000 toward what’s being called “Norfolk Visioning 2026.’’
It’s described as a process to engage the community in planning for what the city and Northeast Nebraska will look like in the years ahead.
“The Norfolk Visioning 2026 process will identify future challenges and strategies beyond our immediate needs and prepare the Norfolk community for the ever-changing environment in which we shall live,’’ a description of the effort states.
The effort began earlier this year when Kent Warneke, editor of the Daily News, called together representatives of the city, Norfolk Area Chamber of Commerce, Northeast Community College, Madison County and the Norfolk Public Schools to discuss the Daily News’ interest in coordinating a long-term planning process for Norfolk and Madison County.
Representatives of the chamber’s Leadership Norfolk program -- and its alumni -- were asked to come up with a way to make that possible.
At Monday’s meeting, council members heard from Warneke as well as Jennifer Adams, program coordinator, and two of the program’s alumni -- Mark Hall and Greg Heineman.
In addition to the city, the Norfolk Public Schools, Northeast Community College and Madison County also will be asked to contribute $5,000 each. Other funds, including grants, also will be sought.
The Leadership Norfolk group has worked with Rick Smyre, a noted futurist, author and president of Communities of the Future organization.
Plans call for recruiting 40-70 citizens to be part of dialogue groups in August. That will be followed in September by a symposium featuring a nationally known speaker and in October by a meeting of focus groups consisting of up to 120 citizens to make specific recommendations. The entire process will be open to the public.
Polling is planned in January 2007 with a report in March about trends and ideas that resulted from the process.
Councilman Ron Stauffer said the city’s $5,000 contribution can be viewed as an investment in the future, not a cost.
Added City Administrator Mike Nolan, “I think it will have some pretty good returns.’’
Hall said the effort will also help come up with ways to keep young people from leaving.
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