In the past few months, Northeast Indiana has continued to demonstrate what sets our region apart—cohesion, clarity of purpose, and the capacity to lead through change.
We are now in the thick of the planning process initiated by Governor Braun’s Executive Orders. These directives are not just mandates from Indianapolis; they are invitations to shape our own future. With Executive Orders 44 and 45, the state has called on each region to re-express its value proposition—how it creates jobs, grows wages, and aligns economic development with workforce realities. We are meeting that challenge head-on.
Our Community Impact Partnership Program is actively conducting SWOT analyses in all 11 counties, working hand-in-hand with our LEDOs, higher education institutions, and utility providers to surface regional priorities, gaps, and competitive strengths. Once complete, these county-level insights will roll into a unified regional SWOT and will be used to update the Strategic Development Commission’s 5-year plan that clearly reflects Northeast Indiana’s ambition and momentum. We expect to submit that work to the state by the end of the year.
But this is not just a bureaucratic requirement—it’s a defining moment to double down on what’s working, coalesce around a roadmap on how we will maintain momentum and achieve the region’s goals. It will also directly shape how the state evaluates our competitiveness for investment.
In the meantime, our core work continues to accelerate. We’re on pace to surpass our annual business development goals, already sourcing 54 new projects with dozens more in the pipeline, four announcements year-to-date, and more pending. We’re also expanding our international engagement through the new NEI FDI Envoy program, with a first pilot mission to Italy. This week, we will be hosting eight national site selectors and dozens of other economic development professionals from across the state in partnership with the Indiana Power Partnership.
Marketing efforts have scaled significantly to match this momentum. Our digital content has reached over 700 thousand viewers across our platforms, with YouTube shorts, podcasts, blogs, and social campaigns expanding both regional visibility and national engagement. Open rates for NEI email campaigns remain strong at nearly 30%, and our storytelling efforts—anchored by the Pioneer platform—continue to shine a spotlight on the people and places driving Northeast Indiana forward. In a crowded and competitive field, our region is breaking through. Just last week, LinkedIn called Fort Wayne a “city on the rise”.
On the regional initiatives front, READI 1.0 disbursements are now over 70%, READI 2.0 projects are moving forward, and we project that total investment in the region between READI 2.0 and LEI is $53 million, excluding additional investment that may come forth after the LEI creative economic study is completed by the end of October.
We’re also proud to share that NEI has become the first regional economic development organization in Indiana to receive Accredited Economic Development Organization (AEDO) status from the International Economic Development Council, joining just 88 other organizations in the country. This national recognition validates not only our strategy but the dedication of our staff, our Board, and our partners across the region.
As we look ahead to the second half of the year, one message is clear: in this moment of statewide redefinition, our region must not stand still. We must align, act, and lead.
In Northeast Indiana, economic development isn’t a siloed effort—it’s a team sport. And the scoreboard is visible to all: jobs, wages, investment, and talent retention. We’re committed to competing at the highest level, and we’re doing the hard work now to ensure we’re ready—together—for whatever comes next.
Let’s keep pushing forward.
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