As Thrive Economic Development (ThriveED) celebrates a decade of advancing economic growth and opportunity in Greater Jefferson County, the organization is looking toward the future with the announcement of a transformative partnership with the Greater Watertown Community Health Foundation (GWCHF).
Officially announced this morning during ThriveED’s 10th Anniversary Annual Meeting, the partnership marks a significant milestone for both organizations and represents a bold step toward addressing the interconnected challenges and opportunities shaping the region’s future.
The boards of directors of both organizations have approved the partnership, with implementation anticipated by January 1, 2027.
“Over the past ten years, we’ve demonstrated what’s possible when businesses, municipalities and community partners work together around a common purpose,” said Deb Reinbold, President of ThriveED. “Greater Jefferson County has experienced extraordinary investment over the last several years, but our work has also reinforced something important: economic success is about more than buildings, businesses and jobs. It’s about the people and communities behind them. The Regional Prosperity Hub is an opportunity to build on everything we’ve accomplished and take that work to an entirely new level.”
The partnership recognizes that the factors contributing to a thriving regional economy are deeply connected to the conditions that make communities healthy, vibrant and resilient. Access to housing, childcare, education, transportation and a strong workforce are not simply community priorities; they are essential components of long-term economic prosperity.
By combining ThriveED’s expertise in business attraction and expansion, housing development, workforce initiatives and public-private partnerships with GWCHF’s experience in community health, collaboration and strategic investment, the Regional Prosperity Hub will create greater capacity to address these challenges in coordinated, innovative ways.
“Communities don’t experience challenges in silos, and we shouldn’t approach solutions that way either,” said Ben Wehmeier, President and CEO of the Greater Watertown Community Health Foundation. “A thriving economy supports healthy families, and healthy families contribute to a thriving economy. By bringing together our collective expertise, relationships and resources, we have an extraordinary opportunity to move beyond addressing individual challenges and begin shaping the conditions for lasting prosperity. This is about thinking bigger, working differently and creating a future that none of us could achieve alone.”
The partnership is not a departure from the organizations’ existing missions, but rather an evolution of their work, connecting complementary strengths to expand their collective impact.
For ThriveED, the announcement is particularly meaningful as the organization celebrates its 10th anniversary this year.
“ThriveED was founded on the belief that our communities could accomplish more by working together than by working independently,” said Kevin Kaufman, Chair of the ThriveED Board of Directors. “Ten years later, the results speak for themselves. This partnership honors that founding vision while recognizing that the next decade will require even greater creativity, collaboration and ambition.”
For GWCHF, the partnership advances its longstanding commitment to improving community well-being by addressing the underlying conditions that shape quality of life and opportunity.
“Lasting community progress requires us to look beyond individual programs and consider how we can create meaningful change across entire systems,” said Margaret Hanrahan, Chair of the Greater Watertown Community Health Foundation Board of Directors. “Using the Community Health Assessment as our guide, this partnership reflects our belief in the power of collaboration and our responsibility to invest in solutions that make a difference for generations.”
As the organizations prepare for implementation in 2027, leadership will focus on integrating their complementary capabilities, strengthening existing partnerships and identifying opportunities where a more coordinated approach can deliver meaningful results.
“Ten years ago, ThriveED began with a vision of what Greater Jefferson County could become,” Reinbold added. “Today, we’re celebrating how far we’ve come. But what’s most exciting isn’t what we’ve already achieved, it’s what’s possible next. We have tremendous momentum, extraordinary partners and a shared belief in this region’s future. We’re just getting started.”