This document represents the findings of the Greater Akron and Canton Regional Chambers of Commerce under an Ohio Department of Job and Family Services and Ohio Department of Development Graduate Retention Initiative (GRI) Planning Grant. The document also includes a proposal for the implementation phase of the initiative with a geographic scope of Medina, Portage, Stark, Summit and Wayne Counties. These counties represent the places of business of the chambers' combined 3,400 member base. In order to implement the first phase of a Graduate Retention Initiative for this region, a request is being made for $64,475.00, an anticipated amount which represents funds remaining from the planning phase plus additional new dollars under the implementation phase. A major finding of this planning phase was that several informational and operational disconnects exist along the continuum from K-12 to college to work which inhibits the awareness of students and graduates of the benefits in remaining and building a career in the region and in Ohio. The proposed activities for the implementation phase of this initiative are targeted towards beginning of a process to remove such disconnects through heightened awareness, substantive marketing, and increased networking. In accomplishing these objectives, a base of partner and supporting organizations such as the Ohio College Access Network (OCAN), the Summit Education Initiative, the Stark Education Partnership, the Stark County P-16 Compact, a new College Career Directors Consortium, and an emerging consortium of Northeast Ohio Graduate Retention Initiatives, plus an implementation committee of high level business and student representatives will seek to insure the sustainability of the initiative beyond the state funding period. This document also serves an additional purpose in that findings are meant for broader distribution among stakeholders and the general public within the five county region. It is hoped that it will provide the basis for discussion, further deliberation, and decision-making. Appended are: (1) National Contacts and Consultations; (2) Persons Consulted, Interviewed, or Offering Input on the Research and Drafting of this Document; and (3) Survey and Focus Group Documents. A bibliography is included.