Ask any leader and he or she will tell you strategic planning is vital to the success of any business or organization. Planning provides a north star in which to guide long-term sustainability and future growth. In Painesville, OH, former City Manager Rita McMahon spearheaded an economic development strategic plan that made a significant difference in her city.

When McMahon began her tenure as city manager in 1997, she saw the need to plan for the long-term future of Painesville and called upon her background as a community planner and her team-focused management approach to put in place the city’s first economic development strategic plan. The plan created a uniform vision for the city’s future to ensure that elected officials and city staff were on the same page and working toward the same priorities. The plan put in place a set of guiding principles that led to the revitalization and future economic prosperity of both residents and businesses.

The direction and leadership McMahon provided over the last 10 years as the city implemented the strategic plan have resulted in significant improvements and have made Painesville a better place to live, conduct business, and recreate. Some of those improvements include:

• A 43-acre park that led to the addition of 3 companies and 500 new jobs.
• New residential housing developments that made Painesville the #1 location for new housing in Lake County.
• More than $16 million in grant funding to complete vital capital projects.
• A revitalized downtown district.
• Park beautification.
• A new municipal wireless system for internal, educational, economic development purposes. This wireless system also created greater collaboration among police and fire units.
• Improved public safety. Business owners were trained in crime prevention strategies and police officers were strategically placed throughout downtown and residential areas.

With proper planning, community support, and a clear direction, Painesville has been able to achieve a set of unified goals and secure their community’s future.