Be prepared to bring your best thinking about how Maine can use its distinct and attractive quality of place to grow its economy! Most of us agree that Maine has some wonderful assets --our coast, mountains, lakes, farmland, forests, historic downtowns, people, and communities. But protecting these assets by itself is not enough.

Quality of place is Maine's comparative advantage. It is the key to attracting people, investments, and businesses to Maine. But how do we leverage our quality of place to create new jobs? The quality of place dialogue will generate ideas to inform the Maine Quality of Place Council and other policymakers on the steps they can take to create jobs from Maine's place-based assets.

Keynote: 

Steve Carson, Chief Executive Officer, Enterprise Saint John

In the late 1990s, Saint John, New Brunswick was widely seen as a gritty city in decline. Residents were leaving and morale was low. Fast forward to today: young people are engaged and excited about the future of their community; newcomers and immigrants are discovering Saint John as an innovative and creative city; and over 200,000 cruise passengers now visit annually to explore its heritage and culture.

Steve Carson, CEO of Enterprise Saint John, will share the story of how Saint John turned itself around into a thriving, prosperous and desirable city in less than fifteen years. Hear about the strategies that Saint John uses to attract people, ideas and investments, including regional cooperation and True Growth, a philosophy which balances economic goals with social, cultural and environmental priorities. Learn how they were able to identify and market their assets, engage stakeholders, and prioritize strategic public investments. Discover how the Saint John community has become a magnet for innovation, creativity and business investment.

Quality of Place Resources