Wisconsin Economic Development Association

I got to spend this past week in my hometown of Eau Claire at the Chippewa Valley Technical College for the Wisconsin Economic Development Association’s Basic Economic Developlment Course as part of the International Economic Development Council (IEDC). Had a great time meeting new colleagues and networking while coming away with some great takeaways for the #NewNorth region. #EconomicDevelopment #ProfessionalDevelopment #wisconsin

A city or a town cannot be successful, or only to a marginal degree, if it is not also a community. A city aims to serve its residents, but this is simply not enough, a community provides them with meaning. Let us not make the mistake of assuming that a city and a community are the same thing. A city is a place where people are located, but a community is where people live. A city is where people have their houses, but a community is where they have their homes. A city is where people share roads, in a community, they share their living rooms and porches. In a city, people are independent, in a community, people count on one another. A city is simply a designation of a jurisdiction of government, a community is something far greater. Cities are a legal designation created to provide residents the necessary utilities they require, but a sense of community provides people with a sense of belonging and a shared experience. A sense of community provides people with something a city never can, and a city won’t thrive unless its residents feel a sense of community. It may not be the city governments role, but city leaders would fare much better if they gave it more consideration. It is also the responsibility of all residents to work towards building a sense of community. Just as a garden requires tending, so do friendships and so does a community. There is nothing in this world that doesn’t require effort and maintenance and if people want to enjoy the benefits of being part of a community, they will need to make an effort.

Wisconsin Economic Development Association started out with a warm welcome from Chippewa Valley Technical College President Dr. Beaten-Garcia. #workforcedevelopment #technicaleducation #transportation #energy #manufacturing #economicdevelopmentWeek is the best week to be at WI #BEDC

Wisconsin Economic Development Association BEDC Clean Up Batter and RE Redevelopment Guru, Kristen Fish-Peterson, CEcD, EDFP shares a wealth of knowledge on the various public sector players and roles like Regulator, Facilitator, and Initiator. Here is example of City of Watertown as Initiator. thank you Redevelopment Resources