Ten at the Top Named Finalist for National Award
June 20, 2011
GREENVILLE, SC – June 20, 2011 – The Alliance for Regional Stewardship (ARS) has selected Ten at the Top (TATT) as one of three finalists for their prestigious Organizational Champion Award, which is given annually to a regional organization that displays overall excellence and commitment to the principles of regional stewardship. The 2011 award winner will be recognized during an awards banquet during the American Chamber of Commerce Executives Convention on August 4th.
In addition to TATT, the other organizations recognized are the Chamber Leadership Initiative for Northwest Kentucky (C-LINK) and the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce.
“Successful regional stewards help their communities thrive economically, be sustainable environmentally, address challenges such as poverty and educational inequality, and transform shared values and vision into actionable, regional agendas,” said Richard C.D. Fleming, Chairman of ARS. “It’s our honor to recognize these organizations for their outstanding work on these fronts, and we look forward to congratulating the winner at the Regional Strategies Forum in Los Angeles.”
A panel of judges from across the country evaluated each award entry based on the four principles of regional stewardship: innovative economy, livable communities, social inclusion, and a collaborative style of governance. Scores were awarded based on five criteria: context, innovation and excellence, performance, cohesiveness, and replicability. The three submissions from this year’s competitive field that received the highest cumulative scores were named finalists.
“This is a great honor not just for Ten at the Top, but for the entire Upstate,” said Dean Hybl, Executive Director of Ten at the Top, “It shows that others across the country are seeing the commitment to collaboration and regional partnerships that has been growing across the Upstate for quite some time.”
Originally formed in 2005 under the name Upstate Together with the goal of fostering a spirit of collaboration and partnerships across the Upstate, in 2009 the organization was formally incorporated and changed its name to Ten at the Top, representing the 10-counties at the northeast top of South Carolina.
Irv Welling, the former Chairman of Elliott Davis and a longtime community leader in the Upstate, has served as Chairman of the organization since the beginning. The Ten at the Top Board of Directors currently includes 48 leaders from across the 10-county Upstate region.
In January 2010, Ten at the Top began their current phase of operation by hiring Dean Hybl as the organization’s first full-time Executive Director. Over the last 18-months, TATT has engaged more than 10,000 Upstate residents in developing a regional vision for the future.
Since unveiling the Our Upstate Vision (www.ourupstatesc.org) on April 27th, TATT has started five Regional Vision Task Forces that are currently identifying regional actions in the areas of Human Potential, Economic & Entrepreneurial Vitality, Sustainable Growth, Natural Beauty & Resources and Community Vibrancy. More than 200 interested residents and leaders from across the region have volunteered to serve on one of the five task forces.
“This is a vibrant region and the people who call the Upstate home take great pride in their community,” Hybl said. “As we look toward the future it is becoming increasingly obvious that we cannot achieve our full potential as a region without working together to address issues that impact all of our communities like air quality, transportation, water quality and quantity, land use, education and workforce development.
“The work that TATT has accomplished in gaining an understanding of what people value about their communities as we look toward the future is helping us focus our regional energy on some of the opportunities to partner together to enhance the future for all our residents. The seeds for regional partnerships and collaboration were planted here in the Upstate generations ago with projects like the GSP Airport and BMW, and it is our hope to continue building on those deep roots to eventually make regional partnerships and collaboration a fundamental part of creating long-term success in the Upstate,” Hybl added.
About Ten at the Top
Comprised of public, private and civic leaders across the ten-county Upstate South Carolina Region, Ten at the Top was created to build regional trust and consensus through data-driven research and regular convening of leaders and citizens to address key issues facing the region. Ten at the Top works with regional partners to encourage quality growth and enhance the economic vitality, natural and cultural resources and quality of life for Upstate residents both today and as the region continues to grow. For additional information, visit www.tenatthetop.org.
About the Alliance for Regional Stewardship
The Alliance for Regional Stewardship (ARS) is a national, peer-to-peer network of regional leaders working across boundaries to solve tough community problems. Supported by the American Chamber of Commerce Executives, ARS members come from business, government, education, and civic sectors and share a commitment to collaborative action and achieving results. ARS is committed to the idea that strong and vibrant regional communities are built on four principles of regional stewardship: an innovative economy, livable communities, social inclusion, and a collaborative style of governance.
