Innovación

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The National Association of Development Organizations’ (NADO) Annual Innovation Awards program has been acknowledging creative approaches to regional community and economic development since 1986. Since the program’s inception, more than 1,300 projects have been honored. The 2009 Innovation Award winners are making a difference in their regions through a variety of program areas. Theseinclude aging, health and human services, arts and culture, environmental, technology, intergovernmental partnerships, tourism, transportation workforce development and youth-oriented programs. The award winners’ projects are profiled according to various categories; contact information for each awardee can be found in the index. Initially funded by the Appalachian Regional Commission, the NADOInnovation Awards program has also been supported over the years by the Economic Development Administration (EDA), Bank of America, Ford Foundation, the Small Business Administration (SBA), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). This year funding has been provided in part with support from the Environmental Protection Agency (EM-83329901), the FederalHighway Administration (DTFH61-07-C-00047 and DTFH6106-H-00029), the Small Business Administration (SBAHQ-08-I-0051) and Bank of America. Any opinions, findings and conclusions or recommendations in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of any of these supporting organizations.

Cover photos:
(Top): The Purchase Area Development District (Mayfield, KY)came to the aid of distressed residents with their Commodity and Food Bank Task Force. (Left): Randy Kelly, executive director of the Three Rivers Planning and Development District (Pontotoc, MS), addresses students about a new Community College Tuition Assistance Program. (Right): Linemen in training practice at the Regional High Growth Training Center as part of Lake Cumberland Area DevelopmentDistrict’s (Russell Springs, KY) electric utilty training initiative. (Bottom): A computer screen displays regional data for the South Western Oklahoma Development Authority’s (Burns Flat, OK) regional 911 program.

Table of Contents
Aging, Health and Human Services Business Development Community, Economic and Social Development Education Emergency Response and Preparedness EntrepreneurshipEnvironment Housing Human Services Infrastructure Intergovernmetnal Technology Tourism Transportation Workforce Development Index of Organizations 3 4 5 6 7 8 8 10 11 12 12 14 15 15 16 18

Aging, Health and Human Services
To combat underage drinking, misuse of prescription drugs and drug abuse, the Eastern Carolina Council helped form the Coastal Coalition for Substance Abuse Prevention. Nowserving five counties in North Carolina, stakeholders hope to tackle substance abuse issues that lead to absenteeism and decreased productivity in the workplace. The Coalition secured funding to administer a Community that Cares risk-behavior survey to sixth through twelfth graders in three counties. The Coalition has also held town hall meetings and has an ‘unused prescription’ drop-off program. Anabandoned grocery store is now a senior Officers collect unused center in DeKalb, Mississippi, after the precription medicine Kemper County Board of Supervisors decided the centrally-located lot would make an ideal gathering place for senior citizens. With help from the East Central Planning and Development District and various funding sources, the county is renovating the donated building into theKemper County Senior Citizens Center. Seniors had been gathering at the National Guard Armory until training and drills for deployment to Iraq left them without a place to assemble. The new Center will be used for a Council on Aging Title III Nutrition program as well as a center for activities and meeting space. The project will also enhance the area’s ongoing downtown revitalization efforts....