MAHONING VALLEY Regional council unveiled

The council initially wants to take 'baby steps,' according to a member.
By DAVID SKOLNICK
VINDICATOR POLITICS WRITER
VIENNA -- A group of civic leaders has created a council that will work to develop projects in the Mahoning Valley by using a regional approach.
Leadership Mahoning Valley's Leadership, Education and Development class unveiled the Regional Leadership Community Council today to about 100 political, business, religious and civic leaders at the Squaw Creek Country Club.
The council's goal is to identify issues, build consensus, develop strategies and implement solutions to improve the Valley by bringing people together.
The 19-member LEAD class interviewed more than 50 people locally and in parts of the country where regionalization has succeeded, said John Cournan, a LEAD class member and principal with Packer Thomas.
Too fragmented
"A recurring issue is the fragmentation and in-fighting in our region," Cournan said. "This council would be a vehicle for community leaders to work together, address a broad range of issues and to develop a community agenda. The keys to our success will be communication, collaboration and consensus building."
As part of that plan, the class asked the community leaders at today's meeting to provide input, assistance and ideas to advance its goal.
The class will take the information it compiles and make an announcement in January about its next step.
Cournan said the council will initially take "baby steps," probably focusing its efforts on the duplication of government services such as safety. The group wants to focus on long-range plans to improve the area's economy and image.
In Cleveland
Dr. David Sweet, Youngstown State University president who was active in a regional approach in Cleveland years ago, said the idea could work in the Mahoning Valley.
"We had a whole series of individual groups doing their own thing" in Cleveland, he said. "We then determined there needed to be a cross-fertilization."
The class will also rely on the 600 or so area leaders who have graduated from the Leadership Mahoning Valley program for assistance.
The group does not plan to step on the toes of any of the other regional groups in the Mahoning Valley, said Ann Louis White, a LEAD class member who works at the Mahoning County Juvenile Court.
"We see ourselves as supporters or facilitators," she said. "People say please don't make this council just one more group or one more meeting to go to. We want to get multiple people to the table to discuss similar goals."
skolnick@vindy.com