The document outlines Battle Creek's BC Vision plan which was created over the past year through community input. The plan aims to make Battle Creek a thriving community where residents have equitable opportunities through three interconnected pillars: increasing jobs and connecting residents to employment opportunities; strengthening talent development through education; and fostering civic pride and collaboration. Priority areas were identified as more permanent jobs, job training, college and career readiness, and kindergarten readiness. The plan details strategies and goals for each priority area to guide Battle Creek over the next three years.

1. Battle Creek
BC Vision Launch
VisionandPlan
May27, 2015
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2. Battle Creek
BC Vision
BattleCreekisathrivingcommunityforpeopletolive,workand
play,wherethereisequitableopportunityforallresidentstohave
theincome,education,andresourcestheyneedtobesuccessful.
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3. Battle Creek
Overthelastyear,thousandsofBattleCreek’sresidents
providedinputtotheplan
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50meetings since May 2014
183 participating organizations
811 Participating in at least one meeting
1,195 Facebook members
2,500 Community survey participants
8,210 Conversations
30,009 Households canvassed

4. Battle Creek
OverallRankingofPriorityAreas
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1 – More Permanent Jobs
2 – Job Training
3 – College and Career Readiness
4 – Kindergarten Readiness
5 – Increase in Civic Pride

5. Battle Creek
Participant’sRankingofIndicatorof“EconomicProgress”
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What residents think is most important to show economic progress:
-- More Jobs: 25%
-- More Businesses: 25%
-- More People Employed: 23%
-- Higher Household Income: 13%
-- Higher High School Graduation: 12%
-- Other: 2%

6. Battle Creek
SteeringCommitteeMembers(1of2)
B.D. Alexander, Small Business Owner Urban League of Battle Creek
Kara Beer, President Battle Creek Chamber of Commerce
Karen Boyer, Vice President DENSO Manufacturing Michigan
Marie Briganti, President and CEO Battle Creek Unlimited
John Bryant, Chairman and CEO Kellogg Company
Kathy-Sue Dunn, Commissioner Calhoun County
Rebecca Fleury, City Manager City of Battle Creek
Michael Finney, Senior Advisor,
Economic Growth
Office of Governor Rick Snyder
John Gallagher, Board Member Battle Creek Unlimited
Jim Hettinger Battle Creek Unlimited
Dr. Linda Hicks, Superintendent Battle Creek Public Schools
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7. Battle Creek
SteeringCommitteeMembers(2of2)
Brenda Hunt, President and CEO Battle Creek Community Foundation
David Kemp, Youth leader Western Michigan University (alumnus)
Christina Khim, Associate Director Burma Center
Ron Kitchens, CEO Southwest Michigan First
Ivan Lee, Pastor New Harvest Christian Center
Karissa Lee, Youth leader Western Michigan University (student)
La June Montgomery Tabron, President
and CEO
W.K. Kellogg Foundation
Mark O’Connell, Interim President Kellogg Community College
Deb Owens, Mayor City of Battle Creek
Dr. Evon Walters, President Miller College
Jorge Zeballos, Executive Director Center for Diversity and Inclusion
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8. Battle Creek
BC Vision
ThePlan
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9. Battle Creek
BC
Vision
ThreeInterconnectedPillars
Increase the number of
permanent jobs and the
number of Battle Creek
residents with the skills
and opportunities for
employment
JOBS TALENT
Strengthen civic pride, unity, collaboration,
trust and healthy lifestyles in Battle Creek
CULTURE OF VITALITY
Build the talent pipeline
by increasing kindergarten
readiness and college and
career readiness
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10. Battle Creek
Culture
of Vitality
ThreePillarsandFivePriorities
Jobs
Talent
Development
Increase the
number of
permanent
jobs
Increase the
number of
BC residents
connected to
jobs
Increase
college and
career
readiness
Increase
kindergarten
readiness
Increase the civic pride,
unity, collaboration, and
trust among the residents
of Battle Creek
• Business
Task Force
• Small
Business
Task Force
• Workforce
Development
Task Force
• College
and Career
Readiness
Task Force
• Great Start
Collaborative
• Community planning
groups
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11. Battle Creek
BC Vision
Jobs
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12. Battle Creek
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Jobs: LargeBusiness
Battle Creek’s large employers will work collaboratively to retain and attract
businesses to increase the number of jobs and ensure a strong workforce is
connected to these jobs. Ultimately, we want to see jobs for all our residents and
strong talent for our employers.
• Increase by at least 25% the number of newly created, better paying jobs in
Battle Creek in the next three years vs. the previous average
• Improve qualifications of local workforce and remove barriers that limit ability
of everyone to participate in the workforce
Impacts we seek
Goal statement

13. Battle Creek
• National Defense
Opportunities
• Aviation
• Food and Agriculture
• Logistics
• Manufacturing
• Account management
system with employers
• Case management with
employees
• Create cross-sector
partnerships
• Develop government officials
engagement strategy
• Create citizen-advocacy
strategy
Attract new businesses
that leverage Battle
Creek’s core competencies
Develop qualified
workforce and remove
barriers to employment
Strengthen community
advocacy capabilities
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Jobs: LargeBusiness
Strategies

14. Battle Creek
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Jobs: SmallBusiness
Battle Creek will be home to a thriving small business economy characterized
by an increasing number of successful small businesses and growth in jobs
• Grow payrolls of small businesses
• Hire more local employees
• Increase number of entrepreneurs with successful new businesses
• Grow number of successful women and minority-owned businesses / reduced
gap in the rates of ownership and success among these target populations
• Increase networks, training, and support services
Impacts we seek
Goal statement

15. Battle Creek
• Create single point of contact and collaborate
to streamline regulations
• Implement training in multiple languages
• Explore shared goal with small and large
businesses
• Evaluate local procurement incentives
• Provide educational support
Create a single point of contact
in government services to meet
business needs
Increase large company
procurement from small businesses
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Jobs: SmallBusiness
Pursue regional, state, and federal
programs to accelerate progress
Create public / private partnerships
to build an equitable, cohesive
entrepreneurial ecosystem
• Map current ecosystem
• Support partnership development
• Accelerate work of organizations like the
Center for Entrepreneurship
• Leverage existing economic development
programs and resources
Strategies

16. Battle Creek
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Jobs: WorkforceDevelopment
All Battle Creek residents – regardless of race, gender, or socio-economic
background – have equitable opportunities to gain the required skills for
permanent jobs that provide both access and visibility into career advancement
as well as lead to family economic security
• Increase number of people in the Battle Creek workforce who are qualified
for jobs with advancement potential
• Increase employer investment in Battle Creek workforce and employer efforts
to remove barriers to employment
• Increase equal access to resources and infrastructure to secure family-sustaining
employment for all subpopulations of the Battle Creek workforce
• Increase family economic security
Impacts we seek
Goal statement

17. Battle Creek
Increase awareness of job
openings
Increase access to infrastructure
supports (e.g., transportation,
childcare)
Partner with employers to
remove barriers to employment
• Confirm need for single landing
page
• Benchmark job search websites
• Conduct targeted outreach
• Identify largest gaps
• Research infrastructure support
models
• Support employers to implement
models
• Evaluate costs / benefits of shifting
hiring practices
• Identify employers to champion
effort
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Integrate employment
supports within one physical
location
Create formal employer,
funder, education and service
provider partnerships
• Engage stakeholders
• Research best practices for wrap-
around support model
• Conduct research on current job
openings and skill gaps
• Develop shared vision for talent
pipeline
• Develop models for cost-sharing and
on-going collaboration
Strategies
Jobs: WorkforceDevelopment

18. Battle Creek
BC Vision
TalentDevelopment
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19. Battle Creek
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TalentDevelopment: KindergartenReadiness
Every child in Calhoun County will have a great start: they will be safe, healthy,
prepared, and eager to succeed in school and life
• Increased quality in existing and future early childhood programs and services
(including equitable practices & policies and reflective of our diverse
community)
• Increased number of early learning and childcare slots that are reflective of our
diverse community
• Increased number of effective referrals across sectors
• Increased number of family-focused policies and practices across sectors
• Increased number of children entering kindergarten physically, socially,
emotionally & academically ready to succeed
Impacts we seek
Goal statement

20. Battle Creek
Promote a county-wide, shared
definition of kindergarten
readiness
Recognize and adopt early
childhood education as
workforce development
strategy
Increase quality of early
learning experiences through
the coordination, alignment &
implementation of PD/training
& coaching
• Research and create readiness
definition
• Support community readiness to
implement identified strategies
• Implement identified strategies
• Strengthen existing and develop
new partnerships with employers
• Share research on importance of
early childhood education
• Co-develop and implement cross-
sector training for identified shifts
in policies and practices
• Identify quality improvement
needs
• Develop strategies based on data
• Implement identified strategies
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Increase coordination &
alignment of policies, services
& supports that impact
families with children
Increase access to quality and
culturally appropriate early
learning & child care
opportunities
• Create partnerships, review and
shift policies
• Engage in BC Pulse Action Learning
to support data-driven decision
making
• Support effective implementation
• Identify gaps in access to 2nd &
3rd shift care
• Gather data, develop data-
driven strategies
• Implement identified strategies
Strategies
TalentDevelopment: KindergartenReadiness

21. Battle Creek
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TalentDevelopment: CollegeandCareerReadiness
All students—regardless of race, gender, or socio-economic background— are
successful in pursuing careers and life paths that lead to their economic stability
• Increased high school graduation rates, proficiency on MI Merit Exams, and
post-secondary matriculation rates
• Students in Battle Creek have equitable outcomes related to college and career
readiness across race, gender, and socio-economic background
• All Battle Creek area students are exposed to college and career opportunities in
school; all students have access to programs and curriculum that promote a college
and career-bound culture
• All Battle Creek students and families have the necessary counseling and support
to understand the cost of education and identify affordable opportunities
Impacts we seek
Goal statement

22. Battle Creek
• Area school districts to work
with post-secondary training
programs, higher education,
and employers to define
and/or develop clear
pathways for youth to pursue
• Enhance and align
opportunities such as
mentorship and internships,
training and guidance
• Put in place and/or accelerate
a process to rapidly improve
student outcomes for our
cities most vulnerable students
• Explore the benefits, risks,
and costs of a school district
merger (e.g., determine if
likely to improve student
outcomes and achievement,
stabilize enrollment ,
improve efficiency)
Explore a merger
between Battle Creek and
Lakeview Public School
Districts
Create an equitable
culture of academic and
career pathways for
students
Pursue rapid
acceleration of
transformation efforts
in Battle Creek and
Lakeview Public
School Districts
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TalentDevelopment: CollegeandCareerReadiness
Strategies

23. Battle Creek
BC Vision
CultureofVitality
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24. Battle Creek
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CultureofVitality
Increase the civic pride, unity, collaboration, trust, and healthy lifestyles among the
diverse community members that live, work, and play in Battle Creek
• Increased percentage of residents who express civic pride in Battle Creek,
reflected through their active engagement with the life of the community and
local politics
• Increased reflection of unity in Battle Creek through community leadership that
is fully representative of our diversity and decreases in inequity between
different groups in our community
• Increased collaboration among community organizations to achieve positive
change in Battle Creek
• Increased trust in Battle Creek leadership
Impacts we seek
Goal statement

25. Battle Creek
• Encourage a positive
narrative that gives that “Pure
Michigan” campaign feeling
to residents
• Promote cultural and
historical assets
• Create billboards and
storefronts showcasing
diversity and school
achievements / activities
• Develop family-friendly
green spaces
Create a positive media
campaign for Battle Creek
Promote Battle Creek’s cultural
and historical assets
Create visual cues to trigger
pride in the community
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• Plan music nights and events
• Start a youth “hang out” spot
downtown
• Neighborhood Planning
Councils host more cleanups,
projects, picnics, etc.
• Provide conflict resolution
resources for residents
• Reach out to volunteer
programs, collect information
on what they need
• Encourage employers to
engage employees in
volunteer service
• Conduct research on strategies
to incentivize people to live in
Battle Creek
• Explore free WiFi for the
entire city
Invest in events
that bring the community
together and attract visitors
Strengthen volunteer
programs which help those
in need
Incentivize “living where
you work”
Strategies
CultureofVitality

26. Battle Creek
BC Vision
The Way Forward
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27. Battle Creek
TheFirst100BusinessDays
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 Solidify composition of the Steering Committee and Task Forces
 Set aspirational metrics to measure progress
 Develop 1-3 year action plans to implement strategies
 Identify and report quick wins
 Identify resources needed (human and financial)
 Ensure equity is embedded in priority area strategies
 In October 2015, the community will come together to assess
progress made in the first 100 business days.
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28. Battle Creek
CalltoAction
• Get involved with a working group
• Volunteer in the community
• Make change in a neighborhood to improve jobs, talent or
culture of vitality
• Stay informed about BC Vision via Facebook and Twitter
• Be a champion for Battle Creek and for BC Vision by sharing
your pride and optimism for change – say something positive
about Battle Creek every day!
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29. Battle Creek
BC Vision
Closing
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