Simmons First National Bank announced Nov. 23 the funding of Go Forward Pine Bluff, an effort to grow the city’s tax base.
Go Forward Pine Bluff is a coalition of civic, government and business leaders. The multiyear, grassroots effort will utilize the work of the 20/20 Commission as a baseline and develop a strategic plan for the city.
The program is funded by a Simmons donation to the Simmons First Foundation.
“As previously reported, Simmons has expressed an interest in funding programs to spur redevelopment in Pine Bluff,” said George Makris, chairman and chief executive officer of Simmons First National Corp.
“We’re hopeful that the Go Forward Pine Bluff process will help pinpoint how to direct our efforts most effectively. We believe that the Simmons First Foundation is the appropriate vehicle for this project. If successful, Simmons can use the foundation to replicate the program in other communities we serve in our banking footprint.”
Execution of the plan’s objectives will begin in January 2017 with planned completion by Dec. 31, 2018.
“It’s time for a comprehensive strategic plan that will guide this city into the next decade,” said Mary Pringos, who will serve as the chairman of the Go Forward Pine Bluff task force. “For the plan to be successful, all sectors of the community must be involved in the planning process. What we don’t want is a report that will sit on a shelf and gather dust. The objective is to produce a plan that the community buys into, one that establishes clear, measurable goals and has concrete steps for achieving those goals.”
Pringos is president of Pinellas LLC and a member of the Simmons First Foundation board.
“By growing the tax base, we will ensure that we can better fund city services and put an end to population loss,” she said. “We’re at a turning point in this city, and development of the plan will get us moving in the right direction. We hope to be able to point to visible results. The bottom line is that the city must decide where it wants to go and then start down that path. The plan will be our road map for the future. Our ultimate goal is to make Pine Bluff a city that people want to call home.”
The planning group will measure success in four ways, Tommy May, chief executive officer of the Simmons First Foundation, explained. The measures include:
- The ability to recruit a fully inclusive planning team that will spend the next year making recommendations for potential change.
- The ability to embrace the successes of the 20/20 effort and then focus on attracting and retaining jobs and families in Pine Bluff.
- The ability to implement the plan in 2017 and 2018.
- The ability to identify funding sources to execute the plan.
In addition to Pringos and May, task force members are Irene Holcomb, George Stepps, Byron Tate, Dr. Laurence Alexander, Rev. Glenn Barnes, Chuck Morgan, Lou Ann Nesbitt and Catherine Smart.
Members will determine members of four pillar steering committees. Carla Martin will chair the pillar groups. The four pillar groups and their chairmen are:
- Economic development – Nick Makris
- Education – Scott Pittillo
- Infrastructure and government – Rosalind Mouser
- Quality of life – Dr. Kaleybra Morehead
Five core members for each pillar group will be selected by the task force, with a task force member serving on the committee as a resource.
Other participants will be selected through an application process. Applications to serve on the steering committees are available through the Simmons First Foundation and will be accepted through Dec. 15.
Steering committees will hold their first meetings in January and present a final plan by the end of November 2016.