Challenge In early 2016, the Lewis Economic Development Council (Lewis EDC) began the process of developing a strategic plan to guide the organization’s short, medium, and long-range economic development activities. Funded under the US Economic Development Administration’s (EDA) Partnerships for Opportunity and Workforce and Economic Revitalization (POWER) Initiative, the plan […]
Challenge In 2018, Brownsville was the largest US city in the Rio Grande Valley and a rapidly growing, bi-national region with more than 2.5 million residents. The community was in the midst of an unprecedented convergence of major investment projects from both the private sector (such as SpaceX’s new Boca
Challenge Situated in the scenic foothills of northern Georgia among miles of largely unspoiled Lake Lanier shoreline, Forsyth County’s rapid population growth, highly rated schools, and affluence has made it a prime location for investment within the fast-growing and dynamic Atlanta metro area. However, the county’s many assets and successes
Challenge Located in the heart of the Arkansas River Valley, the greater Fort Smith area featured some exceptional assets in the early 2000s, including a strong manufacturing base, excellent access to major metropolitan areas, and a relatively low cost of living. However, the region had reached a tipping point and
Challenge In 2012, Michigan’s governor created the Regional Prosperity Initiative (RPI), a statewide effort to bring local leaders together across ten designated “prosperity regions” to create a shared vision for economic growth. The eight-county East Central Michigan Prosperity Region, which encompasses Saginaw, has numerous assets: top-tier higher education institutions; major
Challenge The economy of central Oklahoma has long been defined by oil and gas. The vulnerability associated with overdependence on this sector has not been lost on the region’s civic leaders. Diversified investment generated through Oklahoma City’s much-lauded MAPS initiative has resulted in new projects and a renewed sense of
Challenge Fort Collins enjoys an economic, social, and environmental vitality that is the envy of many communities its size. Its lively historic downtown area; impressive parks, trails, and open space networks; and array of employers, including Poudre Valley Health System, Hewlett Packard and Woodward-Governor; make the city an attractive place
Challenge Comprised of Mason City, Clear Lake, and Greater Cerro Gordo County, the North Iowa Corridor boasts multiple industry strengths, including advanced manufacturing, food processing, transportation and warehousing, and healthcare services. Like many rural areas, however, the region struggled to retain young professionals and experienced a gradual decline in population
Challenge Center cities of many of the nation’s largest metropolitan areas are registering their highest levels of population growth in decades, with some leading job growth in their metro areas as well. This trend, labeled by some as “the Great Inversion,” represents a reversal of patterns that have dominated the
Challenge The Oneida Nation of Wisconsin’s last economic development plan was prepared in 1997. Two decades later, the US and global economies had endured the largest downturn in generations. And technological advances and other disruptive forces had transformed multiple industries, like manufacturing and agriculture, that were fundamental to northeast Wisconsin’s
