April 12, 2021
AUGUSTA—Dozens of leaders in southern Kennebec County are spearheading a process to establish 10-year community goals in health, education and financial stability. The Kennebec Valley Goal-Setting Council, created by United Way of Kennebec Valley (UWKV), seeks broad feedback in the form of surveys and community conversations with people who live, work or play in the region.
The Goal-Setting Council is comprised of 17 community leaders from the business, nonprofit and government sectors and is supported by three expert panels focused on health, education and financial stability. Chuck Hays, president and CEO of MaineGeneral, and Katie Doherty, president and CEO of the Kennebec Valley Chamber of Commerce, are co-chairing the Council.
“At MaineGeneral, we’re constantly reviewing and contributing to community health data to better serve our communities,” said Hays. “By putting a regional focus on trends in health, education and financial stability—the primary building blocks for a good life—we can create a foundation for individual and community prosperity. If you remove any of those building blocks, the other two will topple—which is exactly why we all must work together.”
In total, more than 50 local leaders will help set goals, strategies and indicators, informed by community conversations with and surveys of diverse and numerous people. The Council’s ultimate aim is to unite hundreds of organizations and individuals under the community’s shared vision when the goals are announced in 2022.
