Northern Chautauqua Community Foundation
Local Economic Development Initiative
Vision Statement
Our vision is a Northern Chautauqua Region with a vibrant economy, providing excellent opportunities for investment and employment of its diverse labor force.
Mission Statement
The mission of the Local Economic Development Committee is to provide private enterprise leadership in the creation and development of a community-based Economic Strategic Plan of Action for the Northern Chautauqua region.
We will do so by:
Promoting collective action by partnering with private, public, education and not-for-profit sector entities to achieve dynamic economic growth in an ecologically sound environment, while providing a high quality of life for its residents;
Defining the needs, economic assets and liabilities, opportunities and challenges of the region;
Designing and developing specific strategies that can best lead to the attainment of the vision;
Developing strategies that include education, advocacy, civic action, and other specific projects and activities to achieve our vision.
A basic underlying principle of an LED process is “public private partnerships.” The main actors in market economy are:
The Private Sector - businesses that make investments, employ people and create wealth;
The Public Sector in the region, including the state, county and local governments, including special districts (water, sewer, etc.) that comprise the governmental sector;
Civil Society - the non-governmental, non-profit sector actors that contribute to the community’s benefit, including educational institutions, civic service organizations, non-profit service providers, professional organizations & other special interests.
Main Drivers
of Local
Economic Development
Advanced Manufacturing/Traditional Manufacturing
Agribusiness
Business Support Services
Energy—Clean and Traditional Sources
Lake Erie & Regional Waterfront Development
Life Sciences & Health Services
Logistics & Trade
Tourism & Hospitality
industry Clusters for
Development
The group is specifically focusing on the communities within the Lake Erie watershed, that is, the towns of Ripley, Westfield, Portland, Pomfret, Dunkirk, Sheridan and Hanover, including the villages of Westfield, Brocton, Fredonia, Silver Creek and Forestville, and the City of Dunkirk.
The group believes that these communities form a distinct
sub-region of the Buffalo-Niagara region, and share assets and opportunities that are distinct from the rest of the county, and therefore a targeted development strategy is warranted.
Our Regional Focus