An All America City Perspective by John Sampson

John Sampson
President/CEO of the Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership
As Published July 3rd, 2009 in the Greater Fort Wayne Business Weekly
Abbreviated Edition

Admittedly, I was originally a reluctant participant in the city of Fort Wayne’s bid to add an All-America City award to its trophy case for the third time. When Mayor Tom Henry called, I suggested an appropriate alternate. He didn’t bite. Throughout rehearsals and travel to Tampa, Fla., my mind was replete with missed appointments and a to-do list not done.

Sure, I wanted Indiana’s second-largest city and our region to have this honor — a testament to a community’s core values and civic responsibility. And as the Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership works to further northeast Indiana’s economic development, I selfishly acknowledged that quality-of-place factors such as an All-America City honor routinely influence business retention and relocation decisions.

I remained convinced that surely someone else would have been better suited for the three-day venture to Florida. Mayor Henry refused to take no for an answer; so, I committed to the assigned practices and began preparing answers for random but seemingly likely regional economic-development questions.

I was in for a surprise. I thought I was there to merely contribute my perspective, but not so. I was there to learn. While at rehearsals, I learned the story of Shafiquillah Fahim (who prefers simply “Shaq”), an Afghan refugee who has come to call northeast Indiana his home. I listened to and absorbed the tragic story of Sharon Repka and the loss of her husband in a bicycling accident. This sad story was turned glad through a grassroots community project, Aboite New Trails. And northeast Indiana was aptly represented by Sheena and Cheyenne, who are changing lives through the Great Kids Make Great Communities and Youth Summit programs as high-school authors and evangelists. These stories are what mattered. They are but a few reasons why northeast Indiana is a region fully worthy of the All-America City honor.

Yes, I could have been doing other things. Thankfully, I was in Tampa, simply providing backup to the real story of a great city and our region. What I discovered through the civic pride and celebration was well worth the after-hours rehearsals and now-forgotten travel hassles. I was able to witness the very fabric that makes up the Hoosier character of our region.

All together now: All-America City. All-America region.

Read John's Full Article "Residents’ stories, efforts made Fort Wayne an All-America City"