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It is with historic significance that the Boards of Directors of the Mon Valley Progress Council (MVPC) and the Middle Monongahela Industrial Development Association (MMIDA) have elected to consolidate in order to more effectively serve the economic development future of the Mon Valley Region. Effective immediately the consolidated organizations will be known as the Mon Valley Alliance.

The mission of the Mon Valley Alliance is to be the leading advocacy organization promoting and marketing economic development and job creation in the Mon Valley communities. Our historical long range initiatives of promoting transportation and industrial park infrastructure will be leveraged through public and private investment; as well as innovative strategic and master planning on tangible near term projects intended to have a meaningfully impact job growth. The result of our activities is expected to produce complimentary improvements to housing, retail and recreational assets in our communities. We will also look to be collaborative, supportive and accretive to other agencies’ efforts and increase their ability to succeed in their respective missions.

The Mon Valley Alliance will have a board of directors consisting of up to 15 members determined through a well-defined process. To maintain continuity, there will be two board members from MVPC and MMIDA automatically placed on the new board. We are encouraging existing board members and interested individuals to apply for the remaining 11 board seats. Individuals interested in becoming a candidate for the available board positions can contact either John LaCarte or John Easoz at the e-mail address listed below.

“For nearly a year, our organizations have been looking at ways to collaborate allowing us to achieve greater effectiveness in economic advancement within the Mon Valley Region. This process included a joint review committee, consultants to assist with the assessments and legal counsel all to assist with the review and evaluation process.” said John Easoz, President of the MVPC.

“The MVPC and the MMIDA are proud of the more than fifty year history and legacy of economic impact and job creation achieved in the Mon Valley Region. We are excited about the mission of the Mon Valley Alliance and its opportunity to become one of the leading organizations in our region creating economic development and jobs for the Mon Valley communities.” said John LaCarte President of MMIDA.

About The Mon Valley Progress Council - was founded in 1965 by Mid Mon Valley business leaders who saw the need for regionally based actions to address the closure of the USS Donora Works and related economic challenges. In the ensuing years, the Council formed the Middle Monongahela Industrial Development Association to redevelop the Donora site. The MVPC has undertaken a broad array of economic development initiatives, and continues to lead regional efforts to advance projects such as the Mon Valley/ Fayette Expressway and Southern Beltway.

About the Middle Monongahela Industrial Development Association - is the leading private nonprofit development organization committed to maximizing economic return to the Mid Mon Valley Region through a disciplined approach to investment of resources and expertise. Since its inception in 1966, MIDA has developed a successful mix utilizing business parks in Donora, Speers, and Fallowfield Township. All offer close proximity to major interstates, a quality labor force and more.

Mon Valley Alliance

(Formed Through the Consolidation of the Middle Monongahela Industrial Development Association, Inc. and Mon Valley Progress Council)
Questions and Answers about the Consolidation

1. How did the consolidation come about?
John LaCarte suggested the idea of a closer relationship between the Mon Valley Progress Council (MVPC) and the Middle Monongahela Industrial Development Association (MMIDA) at the 2014 MVPC annual dinner where MMIDA was being recognized. MMIDA Board President, John LaCarte and MVPC Board President, John Easoz spoke briefly during the annual dinner to discuss general collaboration between the organizations. There was a follow up lunch meeting in December, 2014 at which the seeds of the consolidation began to sprout. Then in February 2015, the MMIDA and MVPC boards authorized a joint committee to explore everything from collaboration on projects to a full consolidation. The joint committee hired a consultant to assist with the assessment. After several meetings of the joint committee, a plan and initial recommendation to consolidate both boards was ready for consideration in September of 2015. Both boards agreed to continue to pursue and authorize expenditures for a detailed plan of consolidation, which was adopted by MMIDA on March 22nd and MVPC on March 24th, 2016.

2. What do you hope to accomplish by consolidating?
It is our belief that the combination of both organizations will allow us to achieve greater effectiveness in promoting the mission of economic advancement with the Mon Valley Region. This should occur through increased awareness, reduced confusion and greater “share of voice” through a more efficient organization with a broader scope of mission. The vision for the Mon Valley Alliance (MVA) is to be the leading advocacy organization promoting and marketing economic development and job creation in the Mon Valley communities. The diverse talent and experience of each organization will be leveraged to focus on projects that solve real problems of today’s Mon Valley. The Mon Valley Alliance will work to have a strong voice for our communities to develop, support and gain recognition in the larger multi-county region and the state.

3. What is the mission of the Mon Valley Alliance?
The Mon Valley Alliance mission is to be the leading advocacy organization promoting and marketing economic development and job creation in the Mon Valley communities. Our historical long range initiatives of promoting transportation and industrial park infrastructure will be leveraged with public and private investment as well as innovative strategic and master planning on tangible near term projects intended to meaningfully impact job growth. The result of our activities are expected to produce complimentary improvements to housing, retail and recreational assets in our communities. The MVA also looks to be collaborative, supportive and accretive to other agencies’ efforts and increase their ability to succeed in their respective missions.

4. What happens to the existing Board of Directors of both MMIDA and MVPC?
Upon completion of the consolidation, 15 directors will be selected in a well-defined assessment process. To maintain continuity, there will be two board members from MVPC and MMIDA automatically placed on the new board with the remaining 11 board seats open to interested and qualified parties. Existing board members were invited to apply for seats on the new board.

5. What happens to the employees of both MMIDA and MVPC?
The status of the current four employees will be determined by the new board. One of the first actions of the new board will be to solicit, interview, and select a single Chief Executive Officer. Both existing Executive Directors are being encouraged to apply for the position. The MVA is expected to finalize this process by mid-summer with both staffs continuing to support the activities of the alliance until the new staff is defined.

6. How do you plan on raising funds for economic development projects?
The traditional revenue sources of both organizations will continue to be sought. These include company, foundation, and individual sponsorships; foundation and government grants and cost share projects, and building lease/property sales. The combined organization also has a significant capital base that can be leveraged to fund specific projects.

7. How will you prioritize projects and needs in the Mon Valley?
Projects will be defined by the board based on existing and new opportunities and planned approaches to address the most pressing needs of our service communities The MVA will prioritize projects that most highly leverage our organizational and community assets to produce tangible and measurable results. Our intent is to maintain an effective mix of long-term and short-term approaches that continue to place high priority on our most impactful legacy projects and look to develop strong collaborative efforts with existing organizations to cultivate new initiatives.

8. How will you measure success?
The MVA expects the new board to be focused on identifying, tracking, and communicating measures of success. Traditional measures of success include the number of jobs created, the amount of private investment that occurs and the resulting increase in the region’s tax base. This focus will include existing companies as well as those that select to locate in the Mon Valley Region.

9. What will the county borders mean to the decision making process?
The activities of the MVA will increase the level of interest, investment and attention our region obtains from local counties and the commonwealth. The MVA intends to make broad-based community wide development decisions that will benefit the entire Mon Valley Region regardless of political or geographic boundaries.

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