Indiana Bankers Association Endorses Winning Communities Program

Winning Communities, Inc., an Indiana-based community consulting company, announced today that the Indiana Bankers Association (IBA) has awarded the company its Endorsed Service Provider designation, and recommends its Certified Winning Communities™ program to its membership of more than 180 financial institutions.

The IBA will encourage its members, to utilize Winning Communities program for developing vision and action plans for improving the future of their communities. Winning Communities has helped cities, towns and counties across the Midwest initiate improvements in leadership, social services, tourism, recreation, communication, beautification and life long learning. In addition, the community consulting firm has also helped many of these communities raise thousands of dollars in grant money for economic and community development projects.

The endorsement reflects the role in which banks support community and economic development, and the leadership that many bankers take within their communities.

“We know that bankers provide exceptional leadership in their communities, which is why Winning Communities has partnered with many banks throughout the state,” said Jim Dittoe, president and founder of Winning Communities. “Bankers help convene other community leaders to focus on community goals and objectives.”

One unique component of the Winning Communities program is its Certified Winning Community™ designation, which is a point system to help communities move forward with and take action on the items outlined in the community plan. Communities that successfully complete the vision plan and move forward with action items on the plan become ‘Certified Winning Communities,’ a designation that enhances community pride of accomplishment.

“The success of Indiana financial institutions is dependent upon the success of Indiana communities,” said Paul Freeman IBA executive vice president. “We applaud the efforts of Winning Communities.”

The Community Bankers Associations of Illinois and the Association of Indiana Counties also endorse the Winning Communities program.

About Winning Communities:
Winning Communities is a community planning consulting company that has facilitated numerous community vision and action plans for cities, towns and counties throughout the United States. Jim Dittoe, president of Winning Communities, Inc. has been building community progress for more than 30 years, and has developed a unique certification program called the Certified Winning Communities program, which is open to any county, city or town that seeks to create a vision and action plan for its future success. The Association of Indiana Counties (AIC), the Indiana Bankers Association (IBA) and the Community Bankers Association of Illinois (CBAI) formally endorse Winning Communities and the Certified Winning Communities program. For more information about the company, contact Jim Dittoe at (317) 402-0524, email jim @ winningcommunities.com or visit www.winningcommunities.com.

About the Indiana Bankers Association:
The Indiana Bankers Association (IBA) was founded in 1897 to promote the general welfare, usefulness, effectiveness, and services of banks and banking institutions doing business in the state of Indiana. Following mergers with the Indiana League of Savings Institutions (2000) and the Community Bankers Association of Indiana (2006), the IBA is the largest and most comprehensive association of financial institutions in the state. For more information, visit www.indianabankers.org.