
GRO
Carthage is proud to be part of the Growth In The Rural Ozarks (GRO) program, which was launched in 2016 in an effort to help Missouri towns design and launch community and economic development initiatives that can bring sustainable local prosperity. As a locally-led program, Carthage leaders develop projects that address community pain points and contribute to the continued resiliency of our community.

COMMUNITY
VISION
The GRO Carthage vision is to connect people and resources to engage citizens to improve the quality of life for all while creating a thriving, vibrant community.
WINS
TO
DATE
- Established a highly skilled core GRO team that brings an array of experiences.
- Established strong partnership with the city and gained funding support for community engagement.


GOALS
FOR THE
YEAR
- Create a more vibrant downtown that helps raise local sales tax.
- Conduct a series of community clean-up efforts.
- Develop a plan for ordinance improvement.
- Learn about best practices from other communities.
- Finalize the economic development strategy for Carthage.
- Project Rise: Launch the program and enroll in the first class.
GRO
PROGRAM
CORE TEAM
The following individuals help make the our GRO Carthage projects more effective and impactful.
A member of the Missouri Optometric Association Leadership Team and Dr. at Carthage Vision