By Heather Williams—
MUNCIE, IN – As the Muncie Action Plan (MAP) closes out the year, we would like to share MAP’s efforts to improve quality of life in Muncie and Delaware County as we approach our Annual Community Meeting on Wednesday, January 31st at 6:00 p.m. The public is invited to join MAP at Minnetrista’s Indiana Room to hear from each of our four task forces as they share the work completed during 2023. This is the first of four reports from our task force leaders.
Muncie Action Plan’s Task Force 1 is the TogetherDM Coalition, which is working to move forward the county-wide initiatives identified in the Muncie-Delaware Comprehensive Plan, including improving quality of place, strengthening housing conditions and options, and expanding opportunities for upward mobility.
MAP approached the County Commissioners and County Council in spring 2023 after the death of long-time MAP board member, Marta Moody. As the Executive Director of the Delaware-Muncie Metropolitan Planning Commission, Marta was instrumental in the development of the new county comprehensive plan. With the loss of Marta, MAP leadership stepped up to help move the TogetherDM plan forward. With the support of county leadership, MAP formed the TogetherDM Coalition based on a collective impact model and began meeting monthly in September 2023.
The coalition worked through the end of 2023 to set shared measurement goals, determine a structure for the work, identify those individuals who should be involved in the process, and tentative goals for 2024. Look for more information to come on the TogetherDM Coalition as its committees begin forming in 2024 and membership starts tackling the work of improving Delaware County’s roads, housing, and educational opportunities.
Coalition membership includes:
County Representatives
Stephen Brand, General Manager at Magna
Fred Daniel, Demographics & Zoning Appeals Planner – GIS Specialist, Delaware-Muncie Metropolitan Plan Commission
Vicki Gasaway, President, Balance Holdings
Tony Johnson, Captain, Delaware County Sheriff’s Department
Rob Keisling, Community Affairs Manager, American Electric Power
Joe Russell, Founder, Geoponic Enterprises
Lorey Stinton, GIS Specialist, Ball State University
MAP Board Representatives
Wayne Johnson, Vice Chancelor of Enrollment and Success, Ivy Tech Community College
Mitch Isaacs, Executive Director, Shafer Leadership Academy (President)
Jenni Marsh, President/CEO, United Way of Muncie and Delaware County
Marcy Minton, President, Community Foundation of Muncie and Delaware County
Missy Modesitt, Executive Director, Delaware County BY5 Early Childhood Initiative, Inc.
Chuck Reynolds, Associate Superintendent, Muncie Community Schools
Heather Williams, Program Manager, Building Better Neighborhoods and Associate Director, Ball State Office of Community Engagement (Vice President)
