Good things happen when people work together

There we were last Friday, in far west Kentucky, Hickman County at Columbus-Belmont State Park, another of Kentucky's great treasures. Sitting in front of a crowd of about 30 people were Kentucky Transportation Secretary Mike Hancock (at podium) and Indiana Department of Transportation Commissioner Michael B. Cline (second from left) as well as the I-69 project managers for both states, Ted Merryman from Kentucky and Sam Sarvis from Indiana. They had come at the invitation of the West Kentucky Chamber Regional Chamber Alliance (WKRCA), and many of us were in awe.

I and a few others couldn't help but think back to early 2008 when we'd made our first trip to Frankfort to talk about I-69. Transportation officials there were nice but also a long way from any commitments for the project. Due to a lack of funding, the thought of seeing the 156 miles of I-69 through the Commonwealth making much progress in the near future seemed remote at best. We didn't give up.

Working through the 12 chambers of commerce in Chamber Leadership Initiatives for Northwestern Kentucky (C-LINK) and later the 14 chambers that comprise WKRCA, we continued to beat the drum for I-69. Two years later, Kentucky has an I-69 project manager, 800 people attended an I-69 rally disguised as "West Kentucky Night" during the legislative session, there's $51 million of projects in the state road plan for I-69, and now we await the results of Kentucky's application for a special grants program through the U.S. DOT to upgrade 70 miles of Kentucky parkways to become a big part of I-69.

Last Friday, Secretary Hancock was asked what the chambers should do. "Continue your united front, advocate together," was his only answer. Twenty-six chambers of commerce representing 6,500+ business members are marching to the same beat and getting the attention of those who make the decisions. Good things happen when people work together.

Collaborating is good

In a world of diminishing resources, it's good to see organizations more prone to work in their own "silos," busy building their own "deal" starting to work together. Collaborating is good. Two years ago, for example, 12 chambers of commerce in ten northwest Kentucky counties came together to form the Chamber Leadership Initiatives for Northwestern Kentucky (C-LINK). It's not a merger of these business groups but rather a board of representatives from each chamber that has made some nice headway in the campaign to bring I-69 alive in western Kentucky. Twelve chambers in southwestern Kentucky this year have formed the West Kentucky Regional Chamber Alliance. The Greater Owensboro chamber will be announcing some more partnerships in the coming months.

Recently, officials with Owensboro Community & Technical College and Western Kentucky University-Owensboro announced a joint admission arrangement to make it easier for students gaining their Associate's Degree from OCTC to work towards a Bachelor's Degree at WKU-O. The issue of class credits transferring from Kentucky community colleges to four-year public universities has long been a thorn in some students' side and it's good to see OCTC and WKU-O collaborating to help rectify it.

Owensboro and Bowling Green have long been considered rivals—rivals in population growth, economic development and opportunities. Recently, officials of Owensboro's RiverPark Center said they are working with leaders of Bowling Green's new SKyPAC Center to help both performing arts facilities with programming and other needs. I don't remember the last time these two cities collaborated on much of anything. Good for Owensboro and Bowling Green.

There's an old phrase that I've tried to put to use every time I've asked buddies to help me move households: Many hands make light work. It works for more than moving, however. Collaborating in many endeavors breaks down walls and opens opportunities. Hopefully, more organizations will realize the benefits far outweigh the downside in strong collaborations.