West Michigan's regionalism applauded, touted as model for the nation

Collaborating on a regional level appears to be much more common in West Michigan than other areas of the United States. That's why a Washington, D.C. organization touted efforts by the West Michigan Strategic Alliance as a model for regional leadership for the rest of the nation.

According to excerpts from the story:

While the concept of regionalism is an odd one, West Michigan is a model nationwide for regional leadership, according to the vice president of the Council on Competitiveness in Washington, D.C., who spoke at the West Michigan Strategic Alliance's State of the Region this week. At the Tuesday gathering, which drew nearly 400 to Hudsonville, Samuel Leiken, vice president of the Council on Competitiveness, applauded WMSA for its regional leadership. "There's not a lot of WMSAs in the country," Leiken said. ""You are one of the models people around the country look to. Regions need identities and a story to tell."

Read the complete story here.