Essex National Heritage Area
Tom Leonard, President, ENHC

Tom Leonard,
President Emeritus, ENHC

Tom Leonard writes a monthly column for the community newspapers in the Essex National Heritage Area. This is a reprint of this month's column.
tleonard
at essexheritage.org.

Columns
Supporting Regional Initiatives an Important Role for ENHC

The Role of ENHC in the Region

Since we began to produce these columns about five years ago, I have always tried to provide local residents with helpful information about this region and the work of the Essex National Heritage Commission. This month I want to take a little different approach, and offer some opinions on the state of the region and how I believe Essex Heritage can continue to play an important role in serving this area.

Regional Efforts More Important Than Ever

When the Essex National Heritage Area was formed in 1996, it was very evident that the region needed to be mindful of the importance of viewing issues from a broader more regional perspective. It was clear then, and it continues to be clear today that the thirty-four communities that make up the Essex National Heritage Region could be more efficient and could benefit financially if they continued to develop collaborative initiatives to assure the achievement of their goals. As the economy of the region continues to mature, housing costs fluctuate, energy becomes more costly and population shifts turn unfavorable, these facts alone should encourage the region to act collectively. The trends we have viewed over the decade that we have been serving the region cry out for continuing collaborative efforts. The development of hundreds of “win-win” partnership alliances that ENHC has effectively fostered all over the county has shown us that more can be accomplished collectively than by operating individually. We encourage the continuing development of strategic alliances between and among units of local government and pledge that if an operational organization with a regional focus is needed to help facilitate an initiative, ENHC stands ready to help manage or initiate a program of support.

ENHC Bridges the Gap Between Communities and their Residents

In the decade since the Essex National Heritage Commission was created, we have an enviable track record of success that can be measured and quantified. . We are particularly proud of our ability to “bridge the gap” by joining communities and citizens throughout the region. Essex Heritage provides both direct and indirect assistance to the dozens of communities and residents we serve. Through the efforts of the ENHC and its hundreds of Commissioners, and volunteers we work together to enhance the business climate in the region, promote and preserve the quality of life and the health of the region. Essex Heritage is a quasi-public organization that is able to receive public funding, and in the past decade has leveraged every contribution three fold. Funding comes in many forms, and in addition to the public funding from the federal government through our partnership with the National Park Service, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts has provided additional support. Private corporations, civic and regional organizations and private citizens, who live and work in this region, have made numerous financial and “in-kind” contributions to support these endeavors and that support has helped us achieve established goals. It is apparent to us that those contributions have been made, as it is clear that ENHC has a record of “getting things done”. It is also evident that ENHC is thought of as an organization that cares about the life and health of the region and all of its citizens. Initiatives have been developed that focus on all of the important resources of the area, from alternative transportation corridors, to scenic byways enhancements, to thematic trails, to free regional events, to land and agricultural resource preservation, to educational enhancements. The ENHC is particularly proud of its Partnership Grant Program that has provided funding in excess of $1.2 million to 228 projects in all thirty-four communities in the region. Those outright grants have been a catalyst for dozens of regional projects that otherwise might never have been done, and the finished projects have impacted thousands of local residents.

The Mission of ENHC is Clear and Defined

The ENHC is dedicated to preserving and enhancing the special quality of place that makes Essex County such a unique place to live, work and visit. This quality is a result of the remarkable historic, natural, and cultural resources that abound in this area. You can help ENHC continue its commitment to this special region. If you believe that the work of the Commission is important visit www.EssexHeritage.org to learn how you can offer financial support to enhance and continue the work of the Essex National Heritage Commission. Your support is critical to the continuing success of this regional initiative.