Vision 2025

Northern Indiana Vision 2025

Mission Statement:       “Northern Indiana will be a State leader in innovation and economic opportunity where enterprises and citizens prosper.”

DRIVER 1: OUTSTANDING TALENT

• Increase the proficiency of Northern Indiana students in math, science and reading to “Top 3” regions in the State.
• Increase to 90% the proportion of Northern Indiana students who graduate from high school ready for college and/or career training.
• Eliminate the educational achievement gaps at all levels, from pre-school through college, for disadvantaged populations.
• Increase to 60% the proportion of Northern Indiana residents with high quality postsecondary credentials.
• Increase the proportion of Northern Indiana residents with bachelor’s degrees or higher to “Top 3” regions in the State.
• Increase the proportion of Northern Indiana residents with postsecondary credentials in STEM-related fields to “Top 3” regions in the State.
• Develop, implement and fully fund a comprehensive plan for addressing the skills shortages of adult and incumbent workers who lack minimum basic skills.

DRIVER 2: ATTRACTIVE BUSINESS CLIMATE

• Enact comprehensive government reform at the local levels to increase efficiency and effectiveness in delivery of services.
• Advocate for reform public pension systems to achieve fairness and cost-containment.
• Preserve and enhance a “Top 3” region in the State ranking for Northern Indiana’s legal environment.
• Attain a “Top 3” region in the State ranking for Northern Indiana’s business regulatory environment.
• Work with regional and state leaders to eliminate the business personal property tax.
• Promote the enactment of a federal solution to the Internet sales/use tax dilemma.
• Advocate for the streamlining and consistency of the administration of the state’s tax code.
• Advocate for the establishment of government funding mechanisms to more closely approximate “user fee” model.
• Reduce smoking levels in the region to less than 15% of the population.
• Return obesity levels in the region to less than 20% of the population.

DRIVER 3: SUPERIOR INFRASTRUCTURE

• Identify key regional transportation priorities and enact strategies to ensure those priorities are completed
• Identify key non-road transportation priorities such as high speed and commuter rail and bus and enact strategies to ensure those priorities are completed
• Work with the leadership at the South Bend Regional Airport and the Elkhart Municipal Airport on air opportunities related to passenger service and cargo
• Develop and implement new fiscal systems to support the array of infrastructure projects critical to economic growth.
• Aggressively build out the region’s advanced telecommunications networks.
• Develop and implement a strategic water resource plan that ensures adequate fresh water for citizens and business.
• Diversify Northern Indiana’s energy mix with an emphasis on clean coal, nuclear power and renewables.
• Identify and implement workable energy conservation strategies.

DRIVER 4: DYNAMIC & CREATIVE CULTURE

• Develop entrepreneurship and aggressively promote business start-ups through education, networking, investment and financial support.
• Increase the amount of technology transfer from higher education institutions and attain “Top 3” region ranking per capita in the state.
• Achieve “Top 3” region ranking among all regions in the State in number of utility patents per worker.
• Achieve “Top3” region ranking among all regions in the State in venture capital invested per capita.
• Strategically recruit foreign direct investment (FDI) and achieve “Top 3” region ranking among all regions in the State in FDI as a percent of gross state product.
• Increase Northern Indiana exports to achieve “Top 3” region ranking per capita among all regions in the State.
• Promote a culture that further values diversity and civility, attracting and retaining talented individuals