ODON, Ind. (Feb. 10, 2022) — The White River Military Coordination Alliance briefed Naval Support Activity Crane as well as fellow Alliance members and stakeholders about opportunities for collaboration between NSA Crane and its neighboring cities and counties, at WestGate Academy February 4, 2022.
Alliance Chair Brianne Jerrels delivered the State of the Community briefing, which is a response to the “State of the Installation” address from NSA Crane to the Alliance membership communities in November 2021.
The five counties and nine incorporated cities and towns that make up the Alliance membership communities prepared the address, highlighted community achievements and initiatives as well as upcoming areas for partnership with NSA Crane.
The briefing creates a forum for NSA Crane and the community to share resources and items of mutual interest. This year, the address focused on how communities and NSA Crane can increase collaboration to improve major initiatives in the following areas:
Opportunities to build long-term relationships: Incorporating more Team Crane representation into organizations, commissions and boards can help ensure that NSA Crane and the communities are working together and communicating effectively. The efforts of the Alliance have laid a firm foundation for strong partnerships between NSA Crane and community leaders.
Community Achievements and Initiatives: The Alliance prepared information that covered housing, infrastructure, and workforce development as well as aspects that influence the quality of life in the communities that can assist Crane leadership when recruiting new employees.
Engagement in community events: Communities encouraged Team Crane to participate in local events, celebrations, festivals and programs. The installation’s participation, of course, requires respecting the limitations in place due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Community members can get to know NSA Crane better through its increased presence at events that are a point of pride and connection for the cities, towns and counties. It was also noted communities would like to explore opportunities to venture behind the gate for focused base tours and interactions with Team Crane leadership.
Progress with the Navy Community Partnership Program: After learning about mutually-beneficial agreements and partnerships during the 2020 State of the Installation, the Alliance and its communities developed further partnership programming and education in 2021. This included a three-part webinar series on Intergovernmental Support Agreements and a dedicated page on the Alliance’s website. To continue this momentum into 2022, Alliance and NSA Crane leadership will present these partnership opportunities, such as collaborating to bulk buy road salt, to elected officials during local city and county meetings throughout the year.
“This State of the Community Address provides an unmatched opportunity to collaborate with our neighbors at NSA Crane and allows for open discussions surrounding areas of mutual interest,” said Jerrels. “We are grateful for this opportunity to create partnerships and support the development of our region.”
The next quarterly Alliance meeting will be held in May 2022
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About the White River Military Coordination Alliance
The Alliance is a community organization that was formed in 2018 to promote positive development and growth in the communities that surround Naval Support Activity Crane and Lake Glendora Test Facility (Daviess, Greene, Lawrence, Martin and Sullivan counties) by facilitating two-way communication between the communities, counties, state agencies, and NSA Crane. The focus of our 24-member alliance is to create opportunities for economic prosperity and land conservation in the region, safeguard Crane’s military mission, and protect community health and safety. We would encourage the community to take our survey about Crane at WRMCAlliance.com. Follow the Alliance on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.