The Jefferson County Development Authority (JCDA) has completed a four-year strategic plan that will guide JCDA leaders in creating a sustainable organization and economic development program for Jefferson County.
For the past 10 months, JCDA board members and staff have been reviewing the organization’s strengths and weaknesses, assessing the county’s development needs and opportunities, and gathering community input to develop a road map for the organization. The resulting strategic plan includes a revised organizational mission statement, defines five core values, identifies seven goals for 2021-2025, and outlines several strategies for each goal.
“The JCDA strategic planning committee and board members dedicated a significant amount of time and efforts to this project,” said Michelle Sudduth, chair of the JCDA’s strategic plan committee. “This plan will serve as an important tool to prioritize and align our work, increase and better allocate resources, and measure the progress of our organization for the next four years.”
To successfully implement the strategic plan, JCDA staff will develop annual action plans which will document specific objectives, responsibilities, timelines, and performance measurements for achieving them. Both the four-year strategic plan and the annual action plans will work in alignment with and support the Envision Jefferson 2035 Comprehensive Plan.
“Jefferson County has the right assets to be successful – a strategic location in the Mid-Atlantic region, a talented workforce, affordable sites, and a high quality of life,” said Dennis Jarvis II, JCDA executive director. “The JCDA will use our strategic plan, along with the county’s comprehensive plan, to guide us in creating sustainable, economic development for Jefferson County. We are eager to work with community stakeholders, local citizens, and our area and state partners to move the community forward.”
JCDA engaged the consulting firm Capacity Partners of Bethesda, Md., to facilitate the strategic planning process, which included phases of data collection, analysis, community stakeholder interviews, a community survey, board retreat, and development of goals and strategies.
From the beginning, the JCDA strived to include community outreach as part of the strategic planning process so residents, businesses, and community organizations could provide input and suggestions, Sudduth explained. One-on-one interviews were conducted with more than 20 community stakeholders and regional and state partners in addition to JCDA board members and staff. The process also included a community survey which had more than 995 respondents, she added.
For a copy of the JCDA Strategic Plan 2021-2025, visit https://www.jcda.net/about-jcda/jcda-strategic-plan, email info@jcda.net, or call 304-728-3255.
