The Green Hills Regional Planning Commission was formed in 1967 by Executive Order of Governor Warren E. Hearnes.This followed the passage by the Missouri General Assembly of the "State/ Community Regional Development Act of 1966". Governor Hearnes came to Trenton, MO in March, 1967 and signed the Executive Order creating the Green Hills Regional Planning Commission at a meeting held at the Trenton High School. The Regional Planning Commission was a nine-county organization from 1967 until 1992, when Chariton and Carroll Counties, MO, were added by Executive Order.

The Green Hills Regional Planning Commission is formed pursuant to Revised Statutes of Missouri Chapter 251. The Regional Planning Commission is a special purpose political subdivision and has limited powers to engage in planning and comprehensive economic development for the Region. In 1981, the Green Hills RPC Membership formed a non-profit corporation which was given the name "Green Hills Rural Development, Inc.". This organization became an implementation arm of the Regional Planning Commission, and in 1982 became licensed by the U.S. Small Business Administration to provide loans under the Sections 502, 503, and 504 Certified Development Company programs. Green Hills Rural Development, Inc. is also a non-bank lender, providing loans to small business using a variety of local and regional revolving loan funds. The purpose of all of these funds are to promote economic development in north central Missouri in conjunction with financial institutions, the private business community, and local economic development offices. Economic development is seen as a partnership in north Missouri, and the best results have been achieved through close cooperation and coordination of projects.

In 1992, the North Missouri Solid Waste Management District was formed. The Solid Waste Management District was created after the Missouri General Assembly passed Revised Statutes of Missouri Chapter 260, a comprehensive revision of the Missouri Solid Waste Management Law. The purpose of the North Missouri Solid Waste Management District is to work with local communities and counties, as well as with the private sector, in developing and implementing methods to reduce the amount of wastes being deposited in landfills. This goal is accomplished through recycling, solid waste source reduction, public education, and through working with other partners to sponsor projects which remove wastes from the waste stream. The Solid Waste Management District meets quarterly throughout the year, and usually does so in conjunction with Green Hills Regional Planning Commission Board of Directors meetings.

The North Missouri Rural Housing Coalition was formed in 1999 as a "comprehensive housing development organization" (CHDO). The purpose of the North Missouri Rural Housing Coalition is to promote the development of housing opportunities for low and moderate income families, as well as working families throughout the Region. The North Missouri Rural Housing Coalition has been focused on adaptive reuse of structures for housing in downtown areas, as well as in-fill development of housing stock in the existing, built up portions of area communities.