The Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission (MORPC) will unveil the 2009 State of the Region Report on Thursday, April 30, from 11 a.m. – 1:15 p.m. at the Hyatt Regency in downtown Columbus. MORPC Executive Director Chester R. Jourdan, Jr. will present this year's report and discuss its focus on sustainability and how this affects central Ohio's people, place and prosperity.

The printed report highlights 14 key sustainability indicators such as the number of green jobs and access to locally grown food. A total of 40 data points are included in the report's on-line version at www.morpc.org. "The sustainability indicators tell us how well central Ohio is doing in coping with today's recession and slowing economy in new and transformational ways," commented Jourdan.

Thursday's event will also feature Forbes magazine publisher Rich Karlgaard as its keynote speaker. Karlgaard will discuss the probability of economic recovery in 2009 and what it means to central Ohio. An awards ceremony honoring those that have contributed to the future vitality of the region is scheduled to take place at the luncheon.

MORPC is a voluntary association of 45 local governments. MORPC serves as a community resource in the region by providing comprehensive planning, programming and public policy in the areas of transportation, economic development, land use, energy conservation, environment and housing.