How One Louisville Approaches Public Policy and Advocacy
As One Louisville continues to grow, we’re also evolving how we approach issues and organize our local, state, and federal policy agendas. Our forever goal is to provide a clear and consistent approach to how we set priorities, engage on issues, and advocate on behalf of our members.
This is not a change in what we value. It’s simply a clearer way of articulating where we’ll be investing our time, relationships, and resources to create the greatest impact for Louisville.
Going forward, our public policy and advocacy efforts will be organized into three tiers, giving our members and partners greater visibility into how we engage on their behalf.
Signature Priorities are the handful of issues where One Louisville will make the deepest commitment of time, attention, and engagement. These are the issues most directly tied to the long-term competitiveness and economic success of our region. We’ll actively track progress, engage directly with elected officials and stakeholders, and report on the outcomes we’re working to achieve.
Policy Positions represent the broader set of issues where One Louisville has established, publicly stated positions. We’ll continue to engage when opportunities arise, whether that’s providing testimony, participating in coalitions, or sharing our perspective with decision-makers. These issues remain important to our mission, even if they don’t require the same level of sustained investment as our Signature Priorities.
Supporting Priorities are issues that contribute to the overall health and vitality of our region. These priorities create the conditions for economic growth and prosperity. So, while they may not sit at the top of our agenda, they are still necessary to our region’s continued success. We’ll stay informed, support partners taking the lead, remain engaged where appropriate, and lend our voice when it can be helpful.
This framework will help ensure we’re aligning efforts with issues where we can make the greatest difference. While still remaining engaged across the broad range of priorities that matter to our community.
Additionally, over the next few months, we’ll be making a meaningful investment in our policy capabilities. That includes building out our team, hiring an Executive Vice President of Policy, and expanding our research efforts to ensure our advocacy is informed by data, grounded in the needs of our members, and focused on delivering measurable outcomes for our region.
We are also working with our Board to create and refine content for our Capital Connections event series. Because great advocacy isn’t just about having a seat at the table, it’s about bringing thoughtful ideas, credible research, and practical solutions that will shape Louisville’s future. And we are very optimistic about that future.