Your photos can help tell story behind stats

What makes Aurora and Hamilton County a great place to live, work, build a business and raise a family?
There are plenty of answers, but at Aurora Development Corporation (ADC), we believe the story is about more than what we have today. It’s about what we are building for tomorrow.
That’s the idea behind our new online community campaign, “Built for What’s Next.”
Over the coming weeks, ADC will be highlighting the assets that help position Aurora and Hamilton County for future growth on our Facebook page, from our strong agricultural economy and available workforce to utility capacity, electrical infrastructure, high-speed fiber, business development, housing, transportation and quality of life.
ADC has the facts, figures and stats to tell this story, and we will. But we don’t want this story to only be told by ADC. We want our community to help tell it.
Throughout the campaign, we’ll be inviting residents to participate by sharing their own photos and experiences. We started two weeks ago with a simple photo request: “Show us what you’ve been up to this summer in Hamilton County.”
We had great responses with family days at the lake, ball games, the county fair, trips to the pool, time spent on the farm, and many other examples of what makes summer in Hamilton County special to residents. 
As the campaign continues, our photo prompts will follow each week’s theme. We’ll ask you to show us agriculture through your eyes, the people who make up our workforce, the businesses you support, the places that make Aurora home, the infrastructure that keeps our community moving and the many things that make Hamilton County a great place to live and grow. Your photos can help us show the story behind the statistics.
Economic development is often measured in investments, jobs, infrastructure and new buildings. Those things matter. But ultimately, economic development is about people and creating a community where people want to live, businesses want to invest and future generations have opportunities.
So follow the Aurora Development Corporation Facebook page, watch for our weekly “Show Us What’s Next” prompts and share your photos in the comments.
Because Aurora’s story isn’t just our story.  It’s yours. And together, we’re Built for What’s Next.
KELSEY BERGEN serves as executive director of the Aurora Development Corporation. She can be reached at kelsey@growaurora.com