Una College Of Business To Host Ed Morrison, Strategic Doing And Regional Development Leader

Sep. 15, 2014

Michelle Eubanks, UNA, at media@una.edu, 256.765.4392 or 256.606.2033

By Bryan Rachal, Public Affairs and Media Relations FLORENCE, Ala. - The University of North Alabama and the UNA College of Business will host Ed Morrison, thought leader and preeminent expert on regional development and civic collaboration, Oct. 20 at 5:30 pm, in the Guillot University Center on campus. Morrison will lead an interactive talk on the topic of "Strategic Doing" and how it coincides with regional development. "Strategic Doing," a process developed by Morrison, enables civic leaders to form collaborations quickly, guiding them toward measurable outcomes, and making adjustments along the way. The process is being used to reinvent and revitalize many regions. "I am impressed by the results civic collaborations have achieved using the process of "Strategic Doing," including Charleston, South Carolina; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; the state of Alaska and Flint, Michigan. Bringing this to our region allows many of our key economic leaders to experience this for themselves, and we will all learn new ways to think, behave and do. The leadership at the University is pleased to host Ed Morrison," said President John Thornell. As the global economy continues to change at an unprecedented rate, collaboration between institutions and entities is pivotal in solving key public issues, like ensuring job security and economic success for area residents and families. The University of North Alabama is one of these institutions and spans a very broad region. The mission of the university includes being engaged in the economic well-being of the region. Therefore, UNA is committed to collaborative efforts that will result in solutions that assure the economic success of this mutually shared region of north Alabama, northeast Mississippi and south Tennessee. "Today's economic climate is changing faster and faster so it is important for the regional leaders to find collaborative agile strategies that address their opportunities for generating prosperity. The days of going it alone are past. I believe that 'Strategic Doing' provides a simple yet multifaceted process that allows engaged leaders the ability to move quickly to successful results." said Dean Gregory Carnes, College of Business. Regional leaders within a 75-mile a radius have been invited to participate in the event, which will begin with networking and appetizers from 5:30 - 6:30 p.m., sponsored by Decosimo. The keynote and interactive discussion will begin at 6:30 p.m. and conclude by 8:30 p.m. For more information: Cheryl Williams at 256-765-4261 or go to www.una.edu/strategicdoing. ED MORRISON Ed Morrison is the Regional Economic Development Advisor at the Center for Regional Development at Purdue University. For over 20 years, he has conducted strategy projects with economic and workforce developers in the U.S. His work emphasizes the strategic value of focused regional collaborations and open innovation, and network-based models in today's global economy. Morrison developed a new discipline called "Strategic Doing" to accelerate these collaborations. It is now widely used across the U.S. and is gaining attention internationally. His work won the first Arthur D. Little Award for excellence in economic development presented by the American Economic Development Council. STRATEGIC DOING Strategic Doing enables people in loosely joined, open networks to think and act strategically. Instead of broad visions, they pursue measurable strategic outcomes. Instead of focusing on problems and deficits, they define new opportunities by connecting their assets. Instead of looking for a visionary leader, they recognize that leadership in open networks is a shared responsibility. For more information: http://www.pcrd.purdue.edu/What_We_Do/SD/ PURDUE CENTER FOR REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT (PCRD) The Purdue Center for Regional Development will foster Indiana becoming the nation's leader in supporting creative, regional approaches to development, that build on three core values: A voluntary approach; the power of data, analysis, ideas and information; and the importance of dialogue, social capital development, and collaborative partnerships. The P CRD supports collaborative regional and multi-institutional approaches to problem solving and development. For more information: http://www.pcrd.purdue.edu/Default.aspx UNIVERSITY OF NORTH ALABAMA The University of North Alabama is an accredited, comprehensive regional state university offering undergraduate and graduate degree programs through the colleges of Arts and Sciences, Business, Education and Human Sciences, and Nursing. Occupying a 130-acre campus in a residential section of Florence, Alabama, UNA is located within a four-city area that also includes Tuscumbia, Sheffield and Muscle Shoals. UNA also operates a renowned collegiate athletic program in NCAA Division II's Gulf South Conference. The University of North Alabama is an equal opportunity institution and does not discriminate in the admission policy on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, disability, age or national origin. For more information: http://www.una.edu/strategicdoing/