Meeting to target more jobs, opportunities

AKRON -- Voices & amp; Choices, a 14-month citizen initiative to create a plan to improve Northeast Ohio, is holding a town hall-style meeting from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Nov. 12 at the University of Akron's Rhodes Arena.
More than 1,000 people from 15 counties -- including Mahoning, Trumbull and Columbiana -- are expected to attend the meeting.
The goal of the event is to set a course for Northeast Ohio to create more jobs and better economic opportunities for the area, according to Deborah Vesy, co-chairwoman of Voices & amp; Choices and executive director of the Deaconess Community Foundation of Cleveland.
Voices & amp; Choices was created by 70 philanthropic organizations from across the area.
"The bottom line is that Northeast Ohio's economy is in trouble," she said. "As citizens, we're concerned about our future. ... We can't afford to sit back and hope for the best. We need to take control of our future, make tough choices and commit to becoming part of the solution that will produce more jobs and create better opportunities for our families."
Anyone wanting to attend the Akron meeting can register at www.voiceschoices.org or call (800) 929-2319. After the Nov. 12 event, small citizen forums will be held in communities across the region culminating in a final meeting in the fall of 2006, Vesy said. At that meeting, citizens will prioritize solutions for improving the region's economic competitiveness.