In June of 2019, at the Board of Directors meeting, the leadership of the Wilmington Leaders Alliance (WLA) approved a motion to partner with the Wilmington Renaissance Corporation (WRC) to create the Wilmington Alliance.
A New Strategy for Ongoing Goals
The newly created Wilmington Alliance will work with the business community and local nonprofits in the continued development of Wilmington, and aims to use collaborative economic development opportunities for the people who live and work in the City of Wilmington. The new organization will identify, advocate for, and initiate new solutions on behalf of Wilmington’s residents, nonprofits, and businesses.
The Alliance will utilize strategic partnerships, aligned strategies, and targeted activities as the primary avenue to drive economic development in the City.
“We’re excited to build on the years of experience in both organizations and accelerate the rate of economic growth for the City and people of Wilmington,” said Theré du Pont, Chair of the Executive Board of the Wilmington Alliance. “Combined, we have more than three decades of success in removing barriers to growth, attracting investors, creating opportunities and improving the conditions for living, working and doing business in Wilmington. Our efforts have yielded a 92 percent employment rate in our workforce development program and critical improvements to downtown and are continuing to make it a hub of education and culture. The Wilmington Alliance will work to continue the current trajectory of growth and seek new opportunities for Delaware’s largest City.”
Advantages of Joining Forces
Combined, both organizations bring more than 30 years of experience in advancing goals for the economic growth, business development and cultural revitalization of Wilmington, and will be better equipped to assess the current needs of the business and private communities.
This full and equal integration of the missions, capabilities, and networks of WLA and WRC will provide more resources “at the ready” to create and implement aggressive, evolving strategies for the betterment of Wilmington and its residents.
Praise from Local Leadership
The announcement has gotten the attention of local leaders who feel positive about the collaborative efforts.
“I applaud the founders of the new Wilmington Alliance for not only recognizing the potential of the programs and people we already have in place, but for also proactively taking the lead in helping to develop that potential,” said Wilmington Mayor Mike Purzycki. “Creating a thriving, sustainable Wilmington community isn’t about all of us working in our individual boxes. It’s about the best leaders and doers from the community working together to continually build on what we’ve achieved thus far. The Wilmington Alliance exemplifies this philosophy.”
“The creation of The Wilmington Alliance is an organic and logical next step for both organizations and most importantly for Wilmington. The more we can work collaboratively and be laser-focused on the City’s economic vitality, the more successful we will be,” said Kurt Foreman, President and CEO, Delaware Prosperity Partnership.
“This is about a new, stronger and evolved vision for our city—one that is respectful of the progress we’ve driven so far, responsive to what it means to live and do businesses in Wilmington right now and focused on taking the most innovative approaches in order to build a secure, prosperous future,” said Renata B. Kowalczyk, managing director, Wilmington Renaissance Corporation. “Our success will come from the strength of our collaborations.”