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OUR NAME

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Thank you for helping us select a name that's right for us.

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Great Lakes Urban has been in existence since 2008. Over the past five years, our Board of Directors has worked to refine our vision and mission. We now need your help in finding the perfect name to fit our new focus.

 

Not sure what that is? Read the full letter from the board below. Then, help us pick a name by clicking "Take the Survey" link and choosing one of the proposed names or proposing one of your own. 

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  • CommunityWorks

  • Communities First

  • Thriving Communities Accelerator

  • Great Lakes Urban

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You have our sincere gratitude for your time, and for your ongoing support!

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Read the Full Letter from the Board of Directors

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Dear valued member of our Great Lakes Urban community,

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Since 2008, Great Lakes Urban Restoration Network (Great Lakes Urban) has been working to support initiatives that build strong, safe, healthy neighborhoods, communities, and cities.  However, a few things have changed since the launch of Great Lakes Urban, including:

  • Great Lakes Urban now serves communities outside the Great Lakes region.

  • The word “urban” implies an exclusive focus on larger cities. We now serve people in both large and small communities.

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Over the past five years, our Board of Directors has worked to refine the vision and mission of Great Lakes Urban to focus on establishing, incubating, and accelerating the work of Asset Based Community Development (ABCD).  The following paragraph is meant to be a comprehensive description of who we are as an organization;

       Great Lakes Urban is a virtual, lean, agile organization that promotes and provides

       connecting links, networks and gatherings, expertise and resources

       for neighborhood and city leaders, community developers, philanthropists, non-profits and agencies

       that desire to work together to improve their neighborhoods, communities and cities

       based on the concepts, principles and practices of Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD).

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Our physical office is located at City on a Hill in Zeeland, MI, but our Staff, Board Members, and people we serve are all over the world.  Given the evolution of our work, we have undertaken the effort of exploring a name change for the organization.

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And now we need your help.  The Board of Directors has narrowed the list of possible names to three, as listed below. Please take a minute and help us select the name that you think best fits our new purpose and focus.  If you have another name to propose, please do so.

  • CommunityWorks

  • Communities First

  • Thriving Communities Accelerator

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The Board of Directors is excited about the direction and energy that our work is taking.  We’ve seen the impact we are making grow significantly over the last few years.  Please take time to visit our website if you have not done so lately at www.greatlakesurban.org.

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On behalf of the Board, thank you for your time, your continued interest and support!

Sincerely,

 

Ken Genzink

Chairperson, Board of Directors

Great Lakes Urban Restoration Network

 

Executive Director: Eric Smith. 

Board Members: Chris Schock, David Veltkamp, Jay Van Groningen, Brigit Hassig, Ren Broekhuizen

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