Writing the Future of Our Region

LORE, Leaders for Ozarks Region Evolvement, is uniting efforts to improve quality of life and attract a skilled workforce in the broader Ozarks region. LORE aims to catalyze transformative change over the next twenty years, effectively writing the future for our community.

July 2024 • Biz417

Branding OUr region

A number of local entities are working to define 417-land’s brand. Biz 417 spoke with two of them to find out why that’s good for the business community.

June 2024 • Springfield Daily Citizen

Regionalism nonprofit LORE has 13 southwest Missouri CEOs as initial members

CEOs from the Springfield metro area are banding together to promote the southwest Missouri economy on a regional level

A Shared Vision for Our Region

LORE brings business and community leaders from Southwest Missouri together to develop a collective vision for the region’s future.

Our Members

Become a Member

Our Areas of Focus

WORKFORCE ATTRACTION

The Ozarks is a place where workers and businesses have the opportunity to grow and succeed together. We're supporting initiatives to train and develop our workforce, make housing more affordable and attainable in our region, and promote opportunities available to our graduates.

QUALITY OF LIFE

Southwest Missouri is nested in the heart of the beautiful Ozarks, with access to many natural and man-made amenities. We want to champion private-public partnership to develop and preserve key real estate for the benefit of current and future generations.

REGIONAL IDENTITY

We're collaborating with local stakeholders and partners to craft branding that raises the region’s profile, attracts future employers, residents, and workers, and inspires continued investment and growth.

“I am proud to be part of LORE. Before relocating to the Ozarks, I had the opportunity to witness the work of the Northwest Arkansas Council over the past 30 years, which opened my eyes to the transformative power of regional collaboration, partnership, and strategic planning.

Arvest Bank has consistently invested in the Ozarks region, celebrating the unique contributions of individual communities while embracing the opportunities we share collectively.

Looking ahead, I believe the most effective way to ensure our region's long-term success for future generations is to continue our support of LORE.”

Jason England
Arvest Bank

“We are blessed to live in an exceptional part of the country, where the natural beauty of the Ozarks is only matched by the wonderful and warm people who call this place home.

At CoxHealth, we truly care for the communities we serve, and we are thrilled to partner with LORE to invest in making our region the best place for all of us to live, work, and grow together.”

Max Buetow
‍CoxHealth

“We believe that our region can be stronger and do more if we work together to achieve common strategic objectives. ”

Brad Thomas
‍Silver Dollar City

“We see in LORE a unique opportunity to facilitate building consensus for positive action that will move our region forward.

There are so many incredible non-profit organizations, chambers of commerce, governmental entities and economic development organizations serving the Ozarks. LORE’s goal of aligning the efforts of these stakeholders around implementing data-driven collaborative solutions is inspiring, and we hope this will benefit of each of the very special communities our team members and their families call ‘home.’ ”