Marion Competing in Strongest Town Competition

The Marion Community is going head-to-head with 15 other North American cities in the 10th Annual Strongest Town Contest.

Marion has advanced to the Sweet-Sixteen this week and needs everyone in Marion, in Ohio, and around the country to cast their vote for us! In this bracket-style voting tournament, Marion will compete for the “Strongest Town” title by shining a national spotlight on the work it’s doing to become a stronger, more resilient city.

Cast your vote for Marion this week and every week at strongesttown.com.

Voting is open Monday through Thursday at 1 p.m. EST

Progress, Not Perfection

The Strongest Town Contest celebrates progress, not perfection. A “strong town” is any town, big or small, that is taking tangible steps to overcome its transportation, housing, or financial challenges. Strong Towns refers to this methodology as the “Strong Towns Approach,” and this contest spotlights the work of city residents and leaders who are using this approach to become more resilient over time.

Strongest Town Voting

Here’s how voting works. Competitors advance over five, weekly rounds. Anyone can vote once per week, and votes are tallied Monday through Thursday at 1 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. Winners are notified each Friday.

In the first, risk-free round, Marion competed with three other cities for an honorary title to recognize its efforts toward “Rightsizing Parking Policy.”

All cities advanced to Round 2, when bracket-style eliminations will begin and winners will advance based on the number of votes collected that week.

Brackets

* Round 1: Meet Your Contestants (March 3-6).
* Round 2: Sweet Sixteen (March 10-13)
* Round 3: Elite Eight (March 17-20).
* Round 4: Final Four (March 24-27).
* Round 5: Championship (March 31-April 3).

Show the world how strong we are.

We Are Strong. We Are MarionMade! #MarionStrong #StrongestTown #OhioVersusTheWorld

How did Marion get nominated?

James Walker from the Marion County Regional Planning Commission nominated Marion. Read more here: Strongest Town Contest

What is Strong Towns?

Strong Towns is a 501c(3) non-profit and media advocacy organization that shifts conversations around the North American development pattern. Through reports, articles, podcasts, videos, live events and professional coaching, it provides knowledge and tools to help cities transform their communities. Learn more at strongesttown.com.

MarionMade! is a program of Marion Technical College.

Jean Obenour
JEAN OBENOUR. You could say that Jean Obenour has been an accountant all her life. Even at an early age, while her father worked as an accountant for Ford, she would tag along and be fascinated by the crank-operated cash register. That interest never disappeared, leading to her pursuit of a Degree in Business from […]Read More »
New Toy Store Delights Shoppers of All Ages
Just in time for holiday shopping, a new toy store has opened in downtown Marion. Lindsey Henry, a former kindergarten teacher, owns LuLu’s Toy Co. at 196 West Center Street. “I love kids, I love creative play, and I love helping parents and grandparents select unique toys that are quality, durable, and not available in […]Read More »
Yellow Finch Expands to Add Event Space with The Nest
After three years of perfecting charcuterie and catering, Leiha Lamb and her fiancé, Chad Mays, are serving up something new. Yellow Finch Creations is now offering a small event rental space called The Nest at 119 W. Huber St. Suite 101. “From weddings to celebrations of life, baby showers to birthday parties, this is a […]Read More »
Marion Industrial Center
The impact of the Marion Industrial Center on the Marion community and economy can easily be overlooked if you don’t understand what an intermodal transportation center does. Intermodal freight transportation is a combination of two or more different shipping modes like a truck, rail, ship, or aircraft to move freight to the final destination. By […]Read More »