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Chapter 37 - Organizing for Nontraditional Economic Development

Anna Wiederhold Wolfe

Synopsis

On May 28, 2008, the largest employer in a six-county region of southwestern Ohio announced they would be closing. As a result of this decision, about 8,000 people found themselves suddenly unemployed. The scope of the situation attracted the attention of Taylor Stuckert and Mark Rembert, who were inspired to return to their hometown to offer help in the form of their experience in economics and international development. In an attempt to harness the nervous energy of Wilmington residents and direct it toward something productive, Mark and Taylor founded Energize Clinton County (ECC). Their organization’s purpose was initially very ambiguous but developed into what they now identify as a “mass localism” movement. This case explores Mark and Taylor’s efforts to build collaborative relationships which ultimately helped them to define ECC as an organization, contribute to local revitalization efforts, and redefine economic development in their community.

Keywords: Organizational Change, Collaboration, Communication Networks, Localism, Organizational Identity

Key Takeaways and Take a Stand Form

Key Takeaways

  1. Our positions in relation to communities situate us in ways that are both enabling and constraining for organizing efforts.
  2. Organizations tend to be born out of needs, problems, and uncertainty which poses both opportunities and challenges for creating a coherent identity.
  3. Cross-sector and project-based collaborations can shift an organization's mission and, consequently, influence the development of organizational identity.
  4. The stories we tell about our organizations are constantly in flux.

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