COMMISSION EARNS NATIONAL AWARDS

PERRYVILLE -- The National Association of Development Organizations (NADO) has recognized the Southeast Missouri Regional Planning and Economic Development Commission with the 1991 NADO Innovation Award.

The commission, which is headquartered in Perryville, serves Bollinger, Cape Girardeau, Iron, Madison, Perry, St. Francois and St. Genevieve counties.

Some 54 innovative projects are being recognized by NADO this year. Each of the projects, according to NADO, has made a significant impact on America's smaller communities. The subject and scope of the winning projects vary, but each winner holds a common theme: a creative, effective response to locally identified needs.

The awards program, which is in its fifth year, is divided into six broad categories which include local government services, business and industrial development, housing and infrastructure, tourism and public affairs, professional management and training and health and human services.

Two programs created and operated by the Southeast Missouri Regional Planning and Economic Development Commission will receive this NADO awards.

The first is the regional quarterly business reports, which capsulize business activity in the seven-county Southeast Missouri Region. The Regional Planning Commission reports quarterly on business activity which includes business opening, closings and expansions.

The commission started the program in order to be able to keep abreast of trends in business development in the seven-county region. Officials say this helps the commission to more adequately tailor the economic development programs operated by the commission to the needs of the area.

The second program being recognized by the NADO Innovation Award is a sign-making program which is operated by the Regional Planning Commission for county and municipal government. The commission began making traffic safety, street and road signs for its member entities in the spring of 1978.

The commission began making these signs in order to assist county and municipal government in the seven-county region in cutting the costs of provision of needed signing.

The awards will be presented in October in Louisville, Ky.