Major Turnout at the Summit on the Future Event for the Vibrant Communities of La Porte County Initiative

LaPorte County, IN (December 20, 2019) – The Vibrant Communities Initiative hosted the Summit on
the Future event on December 4th at the La Porte Civic Auditorium. Over 140 attendees participated in
both individual and group activities from trivia about LaPorte County to discussion on the future of the
county. This event represented the second phase of public engagement following the Community
Conversation workshops held throughout October and November.

At the Summit on the Future, participants learned about the results of the over 14 workshops and small
group meetings held throughout the county. These results led to the unveiling of the draft vision
statement for the countywide action agenda describing the community’s diverse people, rich quality of
life, and supportive citizenry that makes LaPorte County a truly unique place. The draft vision statement
is supported by three goals focused around People, Prosperity, and Place; each with a series of
strategies that help shape the community and achieve the community vision.

“This was a big moment for this process; we’ve been engaging everyone in the county over the past few
months to shape our future. The vision statement, goals and strategies represent what we’ve heard
from all those conversations.” said Maggi Spartz, President of the Unity Foundation of LaPorte County.
“Like the 1992 ‘Take Charge’ process, this vision will guide our communities and county for decades. We
want it to inspire us as we address our communities’ changing needs.”

The Vibrant Communities Initiative website, VibrantLPCounty.org, contains an online survey around the
vision statement, goal statements, and strategies discussed at the Summit. Everyone who couldn’t
attend the Summit or is passionate about the future of their communities is welcomed and encourages
to participate, visit: VibrantLPCounty.org

The online survey will be available to the public until January 1, 2020. This won’t be the last chance to
provide thoughts, ideas, or concerns about the process but will help to shape the action agenda. The
Vibrant Communities Initiative will take all the public input gathered throughout this process to draft an
action agenda for the communities of LaPorte County with specific programs, policies, and projects that
will strive to address major challenges and identify opportunities.

“It’s been an exciting few months for our communities, but we still have a lot of work ahead of us.” said
Jack Arnett, Executive Director of the LaPorte County Convention and Visitors Bureau. “We are still
engaging people across LaPorte County and want everyone to be excited about the recommendations. If
you haven’t participated yet, then I strongly encourage you to complete the online survey or reach out
through the website today.”

To learn more about the Vibrant Communities of La Porte County Initiative and to get involved in
the process, please visit www.VibrantLPCounty.org.