The West Piedmont Planning District Commission (WPPDC) based in Martinsville, VA has received a 2023 Aliceann Wohlbruck Impact Award from the National Association of Development Organizations (NADO) for the Boones Mill 2040, The Town’s Comprehensive Plan project.
The comprehensive plan, which was adopted by the Town Council in February, replaces the Town’s 2015 Comprehensive Plan. The purpose of a comprehensive plan is to guide the development of individual localities over a relatively long-range period, typically 20 years. Boones Mill’s Comprehensive Plan includes chapters relating to town design, economic development, housing, transportation, public services, and more. The development of this updated document involved a collaborative effort between WPPDC staff and Boones Mill Town Manager B.T. Fitzpatrick, who developed the framework of the plan.
NADO is a Washington, DC-based membership association of regional development organizations that promotes programs and policies that strengthen local governments, communities, and economies through regional cooperation, program delivery, and comprehensive strategies. The Impact Awards program recognizes regional development organizations and their partners for improving the economic and community competitiveness of our nation’s regions and local communities.
Award-winning projects were recognized during NADO’s 2023 Annual Training Conference held in Cleveland, Ohio on November 7-10. The 2023 class of award recipients consists of 107 projects from 71 organizations spanning 28 states. These projects are presented in an interactive story map developed by NADO that includes project summaries, partners, and images. The map is available online at nado.org/2023-impact-award-recipients.
“NADO’s Impact Awards program provides a yearly opportunity for us to publicly commend the indispensable services delivered by our members to their local communities,” said 2022-2023 NADO President Chris Fetzer, executive director of the Northern Arizona Council of Governments, located in Flagstaff, AZ. “These projects not only made positive impacts in their respective regions, but also underscore the incredible diversity of programs and resources offered by regional development organizations that promote vibrant, resilient, and thriving communities.”
The NADO Impact Awards are presented in honor of the late Aliceann Wohlbruck who served as NADO’s first executive director for 24 years as a tireless champion for regional approaches to economic development in rural communities.
For more information about this award-winning project, contact Senior Planner Joseph Bonanno at 276.638.3987 or jbonanno@wppdc.org.
About NADO
The National Association of Development Organizations (NADO) promotes public policies that strengthen local governments, communities, and economies through the regional strategies, coordination efforts, and program expertise of the nation’s regional development organizations. Learn more about NADO at www.nado.org.