2005: The Institute provided an analysis of the South Valley Partnership Region, which encompasses the borough of Glen Lyon, the townships of Newport and Plymouth, and the city of Nanticoke. The preliminary steps included demographic profiles, along with comparisons to county and state levels. The Institute conducted a physical inventory of downtown Nanticoke. The inventory provided information on such topics as pedestrian traffic, streetscape, and civic sites. The Institute also held community discussions, through public visioning interviews and street discussions. The street discussions provided local resident opinions, and were recorded while conducting a physical inventory of the downtown. The public visioning interviews featured information and opinions provided by a diverse group of individuals from the SVP region, including elected officials, business and community leaders, and academia. The Institute concluded the strategic plan with case studies and overall recommendations for the SVP.
South Valley Partnership
Dr. Jolene Carey-Pace joined The Institute Team in 2021 as a Research Analyst. In 2023, she was named Senior Research & Policy Analyst. 
Sarah, a former Institute intern, joined The Institute in April 2021 as a Research Assistant. She started her new role as a Research Analyst in January 2024. 
Ooms is responsible for all facets of research, organizational strategy, and management. Ooms is an active principal investigator in all Institute research. Ooms has been nationally recognized as a leader in regional economic development. She turned that skill into a research institute to help other regions develop and prosper. Her strategic skills have allowed The Institute to expand its services to the private and non-profit sectors for research and analysis in community health needs assessments, strategic planning, market and feasibility studies, and economic impact analysis.
Jill Avery-Stoss joined The Institute in June 2018 to fill the newly-created role of Research, Data, Intern & Administrative Coordinator. She assists with the collection and management of data for purposes of ethical and efficient analysis. She visits partner campuses to market The Institute’s internship opportunities, and participates in event-planning logistical activities as well. In 2021, Jill was promoted to Director of Operations to reflect the diversity in her job description and the additional marketing and communication functions she successfully mastered in 2020. In 2022, Jill was named Chief Operating Officer after expanding into both research and administrative management functions. Jill is taking on project management, fundraising, and other executive leadership functions of the organization. In 2024, Jill Avery-Stoss assumed the role of President of The Institute, effective January 2025.