White River Military Coordination Alliance Receives Indiana Uplands Regional Innovation Award

WESTGATE@CRANE TECHNOLOGY PARK, (Odon) Indiana (Oct 20, 2020) – The White River Military Coordination Alliance was recognized Tuesday, Oct. 13 for its efforts to increase collaboration between Naval Support Activity Crane and the communities neighboring the installation during the ROI Annual Report to the Region and Indiana Uplands Regional Innovation Awards.

The Alliance received the 2020 Regional Collaboration Award for its work to build partnerships
among the local communities, regional organizations, state agencies, and NSA Crane to improve communications, protect jobs and foster compatible economic development. Virtually accepting the award was Matt Craig, Director of Crane Community Support for Radius Indiana and Alliance member.

“The Alliance is a true testament on how the community, stakeholders, and the military have come together to enhance collaboration and partnerships in the region,” said CDR James Smith, Commanding Officer for Naval Support Activity Crane. “Thank you to ROI and to everyone for the support and efforts that have led to the success of the Alliance and all the amazing work throughout the Indiana Uplands.”

ROI’s virtual event celebrated the hard work, innovation, and collaboration that is moving the Indiana Uplands toward a more prosperous future, with the awards specifically acknowledging meaningful improvements to education, economic development, and/or quality of place within the 11 counties of the Uplands region.

“It is an honor to be recognized by ROI and the Indiana Uplands for the 2020 Regional Collaboration Award,” said Gene McCracken, chair of the Alliance. “We are proud of the accomplishments our members have made thus far and look forward to further enhancing the region through collaborative efforts.”

Meaningful improvements to the Indiana Uplands region since the formation of the Alliance in late 2019 include:

  • Coordination of a 911 Call Transfer and coordination MOU with the Navy and county dispatch centers in the five-county area to improve public safety and facilitate mutual aid.
  • The development of a public information website designed to keep the community informed about Crane and provide a vehicle to contact Crane with questions or concerns
  • A GIS-based Conservation Inventive Toolkit designed to help landowners identify opportunities to protect farmland, forestland, and wetlands in the communities that neighbor NSA Crane and Lake Glendora Test Facility, which is an important part of preserving jobs at Crane by keeping the land surrounding the installation compatible with the work Crane does
  • Memorandum of Agreement signed by the Navy Region Mid-Atlantic, NSA Crane, the Alliance, the counties neighboring Crane and two incorporated towns within three miles of the installation — to formalize a commitment to open lines of communication and increase collaboration
  • First-of-their-kind State of the Installation and State of the Community briefings to identify opportunities for collaboration between Crane and communities neighboring the installation

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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.