The Empowerment Zone mission statement clearly states that we will increase population while maintaining sustainable rural values and lifestyles, support revitalization, stem out-migration and invigorate and diversify the economy. So instead of holding on to the hope that we will survive from the practices in the past or giving up and saying nothing can be done, I believe we should start with new ideas on how we want our communities to be now and in the future.

We can accomplish our mission by seeking out more Zone community leaders, increasing citizen participation in the Zone, partnering with others, developing a process for community planning in the Zone and the commitment of the Board of Directors and staff to see that the mission and vision of the Zone is realized. By developing programs that are specific to business retention and expansion and recruitment of businesses into the Zone and by providing leadership training in each of our Zone communities we will succeed and become sustainable for many years to come.