PIQUA — Edison Community College’s new president Dr. Doreen Larson took the stage to address the crowd at the second annual Innovation Index Awards, held at the Schuster Center in downtown Dayton July 23.

The awards, co-hosted by the Dayton Business Journal and Dayton Development Coalition, celebrate nominated teams and companies that make a significant impact on the region’s economy with innovative approaches and solutions.

Edison was the title sponsor of the event, which afforded Larson the opportunityto speak to the room of more than 200 various industry leaders about Edison’s history — from its namesake, to its response to the future of education, to its impact on the regional economy.

“Edison reflects the uniqueness of the economy and community culture of the upper Miami Valley,” Larson said. “The agricultural and manufacturing sectors that dominate our economic landscape add diversity to the overall economic portfolio of the greater Miami Valley represented in this room tonight.”

Larson highlighted the value of Edison’s programs to the regional Dayton economy.

“Edison’s programs contribute to our regional economic health by supporting and growing those businesses that require the large land spaces and natural resources afforded by our rural communities. Our vibrant small towns, convenient main streets, and thriving city squares are ideal locations for family businesses and entrepreneurial start-ups.”

She especially focused on Innovation Academy, Edison’s strategic and large-scale coalition of schools, career centers, employers, families and colleges, which coordinates and leverages of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematic (S.T.E.M.) fields and S.T.E.M.-related initiatives to create an “Academy without walls.” Dayton Power and Light, which is “Powering Innovation in Education,” joined Edison as a partner in this initiative.

Edison’s Innovation Academy is locally responsive to the needs of education and industry partners. In Shelby County, partnerships have been formed with Workforce Academy project of Sidney City Schools. In Miami County, curriculum is integrated with the Menlo Park3 program of Piqua, Edison and Upper Valley Career Center. In Darke County, Edison is part of the Partners4Progress.