What do Central Ohio residents want from the region’s economic development leaders? Thanks to a comprehensive regional survey by the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission (MORPC), what residents want is crystal clear: they want housing, childcare, and jobs. Central Ohioans want lots more of the first two and better pay for the last. According to residents, our region’s economic future truly hinges on getting just three priorities right – building plenty of affordable housing, expanding access to affordable quality childcare, and creating better-paying jobs everywhere. The good news for Central Ohio is that the region has passionate leaders working on all three. With partner MORPC, CMC unpacks the latest resident feedback and spotlights three key leaders whose innovative approaches to housing, childcare, and job creation are confronting Central Ohio’s regional challenges head-on with real-world solutions.

Featuring Lynanne Gutierrez, President & CEO, Groundwork Ohio; Ian Labitue, President & CEO, Affordable Housing Trust for Columbus and Franklin County; Sangeeta Lakhani, Executive Director, Service! Relief for Hospitality Workers; William Murdock, Executive Director, Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission, and with moderator Dr. Harvey Miller, Director, Center for Urban and Regional Analysis (CURA), The Ohio State University.

Opening remarks by Padmini Roy-Dixon, Economic Development Director & Regional Innovation Officer, Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission.