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J.C. Johnston III (left), President of the Wayne County Community Foundation (WCCF) Board of Trustees, and Brad Whitehead, President of the Fund for Our Economic Future (FFEF), discuss the region's economic action plan and how the Russian dandelion plant plays a role in that plan. |
Brad Whitehead, President of the Fund for Our Economic Future (FFEF), was the guest speaker at our annual dinner at the Wooster Country Club.
WCCF reported a healthy balance sheet by managing "264 separate funds that surpassed the $39 million asset mark," said J.C. Johnston III, President of the WCCF Board of Trustees. "We were able to award 620 grants, which gave $5 million back to the community."
WCCF was one of the earlier supporters of FFEF, which is a partnership among philanthropy, industry, government and educators in northeast Ohio to support four key initiatives:
Whitehead began by dispelling some of the negative comments that economic development gets from the media and reported significant progress toward the four initiatives.
He was extremely complimentary of the leadership role that Wayne County has taken to find a "balance among the various sectors of industry, agriculture, government and education" to ensure manageable, effective and environmentally sound development.
Pointing to a Goodyear Tire and a Russian dandelion plant, Brad asked the crowd of 110, "What do these have in common?" He then showed a strip of black rubber that was created from the high quality, natural latex harvested from the dandelion plant. This process is more environmentally sound and will revitalize an industry lost to traditional oil-based producers.
FFEF supports the research and commercialization of opportunities like this.
For more information about FFEF and Advance Northeast Ohio, please visit their website, www.advancenortheastohio.org
