Leaders from across the state are watching Elmore County — especially its public-private partnerships and growth.
The message was delivered by Alabama Speaker of the House Nathaniel Ledbetter who was the keynote speaker at the Unity Breakfast hosted last week by the Elmore County Economic Development Authority.
“When something's wrong, you go fix it,” Ledbetter said of people in Elmore County. “You don't wait on somebody, you go fix your neighbor's problems.”
Ledbetter noted it's been going for years but was especially highlighted following the January 2019 tornado that struck Wetumpka. The legislator also noted Elmore County has been successful in finding partnerships.
“I get excited when I hear about people working together,” Ledbetter said. “There is growth here and 17 Springs is just the start of it.”
Ledbetter said the talk at the state level is everyone is asking about how Elmore County is bringing so many partners together working together to pull off large projects. He said it reminds him of partnerships that have pulled off $1 billion in work at the Mobile port making it the fastest growing port on the East coast.
Ledbetter said partnerships have helped build Alabama into the No. 1 automobile exporting state in the country, No. 2 in the country in agriculture and No. 1 in building commercial airliners and No. 5 at producing ships.
“The public private partnership that we're showing we've done over the last two years in our state are making a difference,” Ledbetter said. “If you think you've seen growth in our state the past few years, you ain’t seen nothing yet if we stay on the trajectory we're on, you ain't seen nothing yet.”
Elmore County commissioner Bart Mercer welcomed those in attendance to the breakfast. He recognized attendees as the movers and shakers in Elmore County and the River Region.
“It hit me what these people have been involved in,” Mercer said. “Something is going on in Elmore County. It's just a lot easier to be a part of the team this day and time in Elmore County than it is to not be part of the team.”
Mercer noted more than 75% of those in attendance at the breakfast were involved in the county commission, economic development, education or Elmore County municipalities.
The Elmore County EDA has hosted the Unity Breakfast in the past as an annual event. Director Lisa VanWagner brought it back this year to remind everyone that great things are happening in Elmore County such as 17 Springs, the quality of life projects across the county and small business growth.
“When we work together we are better,” VanWagner said. “As evidenced by the Speaker of the House, Elmore County is becoming the gold standard in the state in unifying partners for the common purpose of making Elmore County better.”
