Leadership in
Regional Economic
Development

The staff of Development Services has been actively involved with regional economic development projects and planning for many years.

We understand that while local economic development is essential, it is important to understand larger trends and opportunities. By thinking and planning regionally, communities have a better chance to guide those trends and build upon those opportunities.

Economic development often links communities rather than dividing them. A project that is undertaken in one city can have valuable spin-off benefits in a neighboring city. Several major economic development factors (such as the growth of wind power or changes in the farm economy) know no municipal or county boundaries. In those situations, looking beyond our borders to enhance an entire region becomes all the more important.

Our staff has held leadership, volunteer, and consultant positions with a wide variety of regional and multi-community planning and development groups. These include . . .

• The Alliance for Minnesota Microenterprise
• Big Stone Area Growth
• The Center for Enterprise Facilitation
• Lincoln County Enterprise Development Corporation
• Lyon County Development Corporation
• Prairieland Economic Development Corporation
• South Dakota Rural Development Initiative
• Southwest Minnesota Economic Development Professionals
• The Southwest Minnesota Foundation
• And others