Naturally Lewis
Challenge:
When I stepped into leadership at the Lewis County IDA in 2020, it felt like we were throwing spaghetti at the wall, “doing” economic development, but without a clear direction. We were juggling multiple boards, scattered initiatives, and overlapping responsibilities across economic development, tourism, and chamber functions. While the passion was there, we lacked a shared vision, and the path forward was unclear.
Approach:
With the assistance of The Human Factor Leadership, Appreciative Inquiry was introduced to us, and we shifted the focus from “what’s broken” to “what’s working.” We started by engaging our boards, staff, partners, and community members in meaningful conversations about our strengths, past successes, and highest hopes for the future. These stories became the foundation for a strengths-based strategic plan that aligned people around a shared purpose. From there, I facilitated the alignment of three separate boards into one unified direction and led a successful merger of economic development and chamber functions—integrating staff, resources, and programming under one cohesive strategy, now known as Naturally Lewis, Inc.
Outcome:
This process transformed our organizational culture and how we serve our community. Our programming became more responsive and engrained in real community input, from small business grants to collaborative regional marketing to youth engagement. With a clear direction and a unified team, Naturally Lewis became a trusted and effective leader in rural economic development, because we listened, we aligned, and we built on what was already strong.