Our cities need to recognize their increasingly important economic role in the global economy by taking on new roles and responsibilities. Gainesville and Ocala need to extend their reach from traditional programs focusing on business attraction and retention. They must embrace areas such as skills development, entrepreneurship, mentoring, risk financing, technology transfer and the use of information and communications technology for economic development and city building. Public/private partnerships must be well thought out and executed properly to ensure that the outcomes satisfy public policy and private sector objectives. An effective forum for communication to exchange ideas, build trusts and explore potential opportunities is therefore a prerequisite for implementing a partnership approach. We have identified five basic areas to build our framework:

1. Regional Quality
2. Educational
3. Regional Identity
4. Long-Term Prosperity
5. Creation of Partnerships