Welcome to the FUTURE of ST. LAWRENCE COUNTY OPEN FORUM.

The St. Lawrence County Chamber of Commerce is issuing a call to business and civic leaders, to political and academic managers, to community organizers and not-for profit associations to take one year from their busy lives to plan proactively for the future before the future makes plans of its own. Here are our challenges:

1. What happens when industries we’ve taken for granted begin to falter?
2. How do we replace lost jobs?
3. How do we build a new economic base?
4. How do we increase our population? And even larger:
5. How is our county unique?
6. What does it have to offer?
7. What are its strengths?
8. What are the challenges to its success?
9. How will it overcome parochialism and move beyond reaction?
10.How will it take its current assets and expand them to encompass new opportunities?

In other words: What do we want the county to look like in 20 years…and how do we get it there?

We look forward to the dialog.

Pat McKeown, Executive Director, St. Lawrence County Chamber of Commerce