By Paula Pyzik Scott
The August 20 meeting of the Bluffton Lions Club featured a presentation by Dave Stratton, President and CEO of Greater Lima Region, Inc. (GLR) on what’s new in the world of regional planning and promotion. The public was invited to this program.
Stratton’s eye is on a slice of northwest Ohio that includes Bluffton and nine counties. Bluffton is where he grew up and the room where the Lions meet is where he was commissioned by the Bluffton American Legion to take part in the Buckeye Boys State program.
The tone of Stratton’s presentation was casual and he gave the Lions ample opportunity to ask questions. Stratton’s audience seemed plugged into the Allen County community, but even so, he was able to surprise them with the following: Site Selection magazine has rated Lima as third in the nation in 2023 for development among cities of a similar size (34,977 in 2022).