University of Missouri Technology Park 197 Replacement Avenue, Suite 103 Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri 65473 Office: 573.329.8502 • Fax: 573.329.8509 www.SustainableOzarks.org Holiday Message from the Executive Director The Sustainable Ozarks Partnership (SOP) staff would like to wish everyone across the Fort Leonard Wood Region a Happy Holiday Season and a prosperous New Year to come! As we usher out 2020, and prepare for 2021 we want to foremost express our sincere appreciation to all of our Sustaining Members, members at large, leadership, volunteers, and supporters that have helped us continue working to strengthen Fort Leonard Wood (FLW) and the FLW Region. Your unwavering support for our work in remaining “Focused and Resilient” is remarkable. Specifically, your involvement in our organization enables us to continue leveraging partnerships that we believe will ensure a strong future for FLW, servicemen and women, families, retirees, veterans and our communities. As we reflect back on the year, we are very proud of the many successes we, as a region, have experienced despite the many challenges this year has laid before us. Our collective successes continue in large part due to our stakeholders' trust, confidence, and active participation in the SOP. In review of 2020, we saw the start of the Military Construction project for the new Army hospital on FLW; the Marines Corps relocate their Civilian Military Police Course from California to Fort Leonard Wood; finalized and published our regional quality of life video; collaborated with our local school district to secure federal funding under the Defense Community Infrastructure Program to help reduce the military connected children pre-kindergarten program waiting list; established a regional tourism website; successfully advocated for state legislation providing full license reciprocity for military spouses; developed a national marketing program to promote regional tourism, retain and recruit veterans and families in the region and recruit new businesses to the region and continued our strategic efforts to identify and attract additional defense, non-defense, and industry investments in the FLW region. Other highlights from the year included our community engagement in mid-October with the TRADOC Commander General Paul Funk. Thanks to Senator Blunt and the Committee of 50 we were able to leverage this unique opportunity with General Funk to communicate how: the FLW region and its leaders are committed to continue enhancing the quality of life for FLW’s Soldiers and their families; we believe FLW’s attributes and overall military value can lend itself to accommodating and supporting additional Army or other Services operational and training missions in the future; region wide community support for FLW is formalized, focused and engaged through the SOP and how local and state governments are prepared to use formal partnerships and various programs to reduce operational costs and create efficiencies at FLW that are beneficial to DOD. Our 8th Annual Meeting was held in August with over 100 participants joining us to hear our report on regional accomplishments, our assessment of the organization’s performance over the previous year and learning about the objectives we set for ourselves during the coming year. Attendees also heard from an impressive list of distinguished leaders who provided insightful updates about the important work happening at the local, state, and federal levels in support of our national defense, FLW and the FLW region. This year’s collection of speakers was the strongest line up to date and was a testament to the tremendous support that we continue to enjoy here in the “Heart of America”. Speakers included Senator Roy Blunt; Senator Josh Hawley; Representative Vicky Hartzler; Missouri Governor Mike Parson; FLW and MSCoE Commanding General Brigadier General James Bonner; Missouri Military Advocate and Association of Defense Communities President Joe Driskill; Mike Dubois, Director, Defense and International, Kit Bond Strategies; Steve Hyjek, Baker Donelson Associates. The meeting was a great success thanks to many. In closing, we are proud of the work we do on behalf of the region and we are confident that our collective accomplishments will continue to ensure the region’s short and long-term success. We will remain dedicated to further strengthening our team at the regional, state, and national levels as we continue to aggressively advocate for FLW and our region. Again, we thank you for your support. We especially appreciate the funding support from both our local municipalities and our regional private sector businesses which directly impact our overall success. We look forward to sharing our accomplishments with you throughout the year as we work together to strengthen FLW, add jobs, and ultimately create a positive economic impact for the region. Best Wishes for a Prosperous New Year, Dorsey Newcomb Executive Director Sustainable Ozarks Partnership University of Missouri Technology Park 197 Replacement Avenue, Suite 103 Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri 65473 Office: 573.329.8502 • Fax: 573.329.8509 www.SustainableOzarks.org The Sustainable Ozarks Partnership was established in 2012 to formalize regional support for Fort Leonard Wood (FLW). Concerned community members, leaders from businesses, local and regional governments, state agencies, and civic organizations from the four counties (Laclede, Phelps, Pulaski, and Texas) that surround FLW came together to create the SOP. All of these key contributors were interested in having an organization that could represent the region with one voice on issues that are vital to the long-term readiness and sustainability of FLW. The region’s efforts and unparalleled support from our elected leaders at the local, state and, federal levels have resulted in many successes that will ensure a strong future for FLW, servicemen and women, families, retirees, veterans and our communities. Accomplishments include improvements in the areas of partnerships that support FLW’s mission success; regional healthcare; regional transportation access; quality of public education; military spouse and veteran employment initiatives, quality of life and infrastructure resiliency. Our Work: is guided by our desire to gain positive recognition for the region and to strengthen the region and FLW. The SOP’s strategic plan outlines the organization’s vision, mission, and four overarching goals that focus SOP activities. Each goal has a number of priority strategies with specific actions, timelines, and measures of success. It is the position of the SOP that if each of these goals is accomplished, the SOP will be fully successful in achieving its vision. We are confident that our collective efforts continue to allow the Army and others to see the value of a sustained and increased military investment in FLW, our region, and our state. We bring the region together through a variety of initiatives that can create efficiencies at FLW, enhance military readiness and the installation’s resiliency. Our Mission: Foster the region’s continuing commitment to national defense, and advocate for local and regional development initiatives, as well as FLW sustainment and growth. Coordinate and facilitate growth of a diverse, sustainable economy for the region, publicize regional consensus while respecting individual interests of the members, and function as the central point of contact for regional partners. Our Vision: Regional communities, governments and organizations, FLW, state and federal enablers working together as stakeholders to make the region an ever-better place to live, work, and play, while enabling FLW mission success and advocating for mission sustainment and growth. Our Strategic Goals: 1. Gain positive recognition for the region by achieving state and national recognition for the region as an excellent place for people to live, work, and play and for businesses to prosper. 2. Strengthen the region by being a catalyst for positive change for citizens, businesses, and governments throughout the region to improve the quality of life, and grow a diverse, sustainable economy. 3. Strengthen FLW by ensuring that it continues to be an enduring installation, with opportunities to grow with expanding or new missions. 4. Ensure the viability of the SOP by improving SOP efficiency and operational effectiveness so it can successfully support the region/FLW Recent Regional Highlights and Accomplishments: (as of 30 November 2020) 1. Marine Corps Civilian Police Academy moved to Fort Leonard Wood from California; 25 jobs created and increased annual training load of Marines at FLW by 300-400 2. Successfully advocated for this year’s incremental funding of the MILCON project for the new Army hospital on FLW; ground breaking occurred on 22 June 2020; one of only three medical military constructions projects being executed within Department of Defense 3. Briefed Lebanon / Laclede County employers and elected officials during Lebanon Regional Economic Development Inc. meeting on FLW transitioning servicemember programs, opportunities and strategies. Developed a preliminary workforce document that captures the skills, education and experience levels of the nearly 600 servicemembers transitioning from FLW during this year; to be used by economic developers and others officials in filling existing jobs in the region and recruiting new business investments in the region 4. Collaborated with RVI school district to secure federal Defense Community Infrastructure