By Kaycee Kemper

Whether it’s Valentine’s Day or not, there’s not always a lot of love for economic development. But our organization is taking steps to change that. Maybe, by the end of this article, you’ll feel just a little tingle of warmth toward economic development. I’ll try my best!

The beginning of the year is one of the best times to evaluate our relationships and goals, both personal and professional.  And on January 31, our organization did just that, by unveiling new mission and vision statements at our VISION 2025 event. Alliance President Robin Fitzpatrick welcomed about 60 distinguished guests, community and business leaders:

“It’s an honor to be with you today, as we come together to shape the future of Adams County. This is not just about planning—it’s about taking action to ensure our communities thrive for generations to come. Our strategic plan serves as a roadmap for our county’s future—a blueprint for success that ensures today’s actions build a stronger, more resilient, and prosperous community. It’s not just about setting goals but ensuring they are achievable, measurable and aligned with a shared vision.”

The Alliance’s new mission: Facilitating the future of Adams County through economic opportunities, productive partnerships, and strategic, community-based strategies.

And speaking to the bigger picture and the Alliance’s future goals, our vision: To cast the vision and lead the implementation of diverse and responsible economic growth to improve everyone’s quality of life in Adams County.

“A well-designed strategic plan fosters balanced growth, integrating environmental conservation, historical preservation, and long-term community needs,” Robin continued. “Throughout my remarks, you’ll hear recurring themes such as sustainability, workforce development and business growth—that are not only core to Adams County’s strategy but also align with regional and statewide priorities.”

Within Robin’s remarks, and within this carefully-crafted mission and vision, including hours of input and discussion from our board members, there’s a lot of consideration, responsibility and yes—even love—for this incredible place where we live, work and play called Adams County.

Economic development is a way of caring for communities. On a bigger scale, our keynote speaker Lisa Riggs of Team Pennsylvania spoke to the ways her public-private partnership is guiding the Keystone State’s economic future. It’s nearly impossible for me to summarize her excellent presentation in just a paragraph or two, but I’ll try. And if you’d like to see her full presentation, click here (thanks, Community Media!).

Lisa spoke to Team PA’s four main goals—“why” their core purpose is to “accelerate Pennsylvania’s economy.”

  • Collaborate: They tackle issues that are difficult for any sector or organization to address independently.
  • Lead: Team PA accelerates economic opportunities to position Pennsylvania as a leader within the U.S. and globally.
  • Impact: They seek to maximize statewide opportunities that have sustainable and measurable impacts on our economic future.
  • Empower: Team PA strives to create equity and economic opportunity so more people can participate more fully in the economy.

I’ll wrap up by including a few more thoughts from Robin’s remarks:

“I cannot stress enough how vital partnerships are to economic development, to quality of life, to the vitality of Adams County. A thriving community doesn’t grow recklessly—it grows with intention. It honors its past while building for the future, ensuring that every resident, regardless of income, has a place to call home, access to employment, and reliable transportation.”

Ok, now it’s time to assess how you’re feeling about economic development, now that you know how much strategic, thoughtful stewardship and leadership guides our work. Warm and fuzzy?

If you’re feeling the love… I invite you to learn more about the Alliance and become a member—what we call Investors. On the home page of our website, there is a brand-new, handy and downloadable brochure explaining how we help Adams County businesses and organizations. And just like any healthy relationship, it takes two… so the brochure explains how you can take our relationship to the next level by becoming an Investor. We’d “love” to partner with you.

Kaycee Kemper is Vice President of Adams Economic Alliance, which comprises three organizations: The Adams County Economic Development Corporation (ACEDC), the Adams County Industrial Development Authority (ACIDA) and the Adams County General Authority (ACGA). For more information, see adamsalliance.org. Follow us on Instagram (@adamscountypa) Twitter (@AdamsAlliance), Facebook (Facebook.com/AdamsAlliance) and LinkedIn (Adams Economic Alliance).

This column originally published in the Gettysburg Times, February 13, 2025.