VISION XXI: Intro

Dyersburg/Dyer County is a prosperous community with a proud heritage and a promising future. Growth and change are inevitable in the coming decades. The challenge facing local leaders is ensuring that such growth and change reflect local values and goals and enhance the community's quality of life. Meeting this challenge involves establishing a . widely-shared vision of the desired future, building consensus on key goals, ensuring opportunities for citizen engagement, and continuously working together to make Dyersburg/Dyer County an even better place to live. The Vision XXI strategic planning process was initiated to fulfill those tasks.

Vision XXI has been a strategic planning effort led by a 60-member coalition of government, business, education, and civic leaders, with input from the general public, Every effort has been made to ensure that an open, public process was undertaken with opportunities for widespread participation. While Vision XXI was launched by the Dyersburg/Dyer Chamber of Commerce, the' goals and actions in this report reflect the broader community's interests and ideas. The Tennessee Valley Authority was asked by local leaders to help design and facilitate the strategic planning process, based on its Quality Communities program. TVA assistance is provided through the Dyersburg Electric System.

The Vision XXI process involved a team of community leaders who examined the community's past trends and current situation and who sought public input from the general public. The team reviewed the public input and worked in consensus fashion to outline recommended goals and actions for this report. They are intended to provide an agenda for the community which promotes and/or supports a wide range of activities all working toward a shared vision of the future.

While the Chamber sponsored the Vision XXI process, this report is not the Chamber's plan, a feasibility study, a detailed economic analysis or forecast, or a comprehensive community development plan. It is, however, a genuine attempt to determine the key issues facing Dyersburg/Dyer County and to outline an agenda for achieving a prosperous future. The purpose has been to stimulate ideas, build consensus, and generate support for action by a variety of public and private entities. It is hoped that community leaders can use this report as a means to annually gauge progress on addressing key issues facing Dyersburg/Dyer County.


VISION STATEMENT
Dyer County, as a regional hub, is a community led by unified government that is committed to ensure an environment:

• that is safe and clean
• where citizens can live, work and seek a superior education
• promotes economic prosperity and abundant cultural and recreational opportunities
• embraces the diversity and harmony needed to promote strong and healthy families

VISION XXI COMMITTEES
Economic/Business Development
Co-Chairs: David Taylor/Bob Kirk

Education
Co-Chairs: Jeff Agee/Danny Walden

Social Issues & Health Care
Co-Chairs: Kerrie Heckethorn/Bill Hiles

Gov., Infrastructure & Transportation
Co-Chairs: Paul Carson/Kris Boston

Recreation & Culture
Co-Chairs: Ellen Moore/Brooke Emery

Community Livability & Pride
Co-Chairs: Helen Enoch/Lynn Fritchey