One of the biggest challenges in implementing regional development efforts is recruiting business leaders who lend their insight, influence and financial resources to these projects. The Council believes that having actively engaged business executives is critical to almost any regional effort, be it focused on talent development, transportation, energy sustainability or comprehensive efforts to build regional innovation hotspots.

Engage. is designed to support the creation of cross-sector collaborations to address economic opportunities and challenges. Developed with the support of the Employment and Training Administration (ETA) of the U.S. Department of Labor, this guide lays out a series of recommendations aimed at helping regions to recruit, develop and sustain the involvement of business leaders.

The Council’s work has demonstrated that national prosperity depends upon regional innovation. To drive U.S. competitiveness, productivity and leadership in world markets, U.S. regions must be supported by engaged business leadership. This guide is intended to support the efforts of practitioners and private sector leaders who are addressing the regional innovation imperative in communities across America.