JOHNSTOWN, Pa. (WJAC) — Johnstown: some of us were born here, some of us were raised here, and some of us moved here from somewhere else.

No matter what, we all want to see this place succeed.

There are many local organizations trying to make Johnstown successful, including Vision Together 2025.

Last month, they welcomed a new President and CEO: Mike Tedesco.

"The goal is really improving quality of life for those who live here right now," Tedesco told 6 News.

"When you do that, a magical thing happens: word gets around that Johnstown is a great place to live for a million different reasons, and then people just start coming."

After a nationwide search, Tedesco was selected to take on the new role and moved from Spokane, Washington.

He said the community confidence he sees in Johnstown makes him more confident to revitalize the town.

"I use the word confidence very specifically. It's not hope. It's we have a plan to turn this thing around, and now we have to execute the plan," he said.

The plan: invest in youth, remediate blight, recruit and retain businesses, and promote Johnstown as a great place to live, work, and visit.

"But there's other little things. How many tubers are in the river over the summer? Is that number going up? How many folks are walking the trails along the hillsides?"

He said new marketing initiatives and economic development will help Johnstown recover from COVID-19.

"I'm confident we're going to see a lot of growth as we continue to take action steps to implement the Vision Together plan," Tedesco said.

The organization used to be called Vision 2025, but now it's Vision "Together" 2025, adding that extra word to include more organizations and community members in their mission.

If you'd like to help, visit their website here or call (814) 532-0100 ext. 223.

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