Laura brown three year review

Laura E. Brown

Community Resource Development Educator UW Extension Crawford County

Three-Year ReviewJune 17, 2010

Review Team Pat Malone, CNRED Program Area Liaison Jeff Hoffman, Dept. of Community Resource

Development Vice Chair Vance Haugen Crawford County UW

Extension Department Head Dick Pederson, UW Extension Southern

District Director

Presentation OverviewNeeds AssessmentCurrent Major Program InitiativesSignificant Teaching EventProgram ImpactsStakeholder AccountabilityFuture Program Directions

Needs Assessment2007 CNRED needs assessment

• Economic Development including job growth and preparedness

• Comprehensive and land use planning

On going assessment – • community leaders, elected officials, non profits,

economic development organizations

2010 Econ. Dev. Preparedness Survey

Major Program Initiatives

2010 Plan of Work

Community Economic DevelopmentCommunity & Comprehensive

PlanningSustainability - Local Foods & Energy

Independence

Community Economic Development

The Situation Rural, declining economic base in agriculture

and manufacturing Lack of capacity and cooperation Economic downturn & severe flooding Lack of infrastructure to support “smokestacks” Tradition of entrepreneurship and emerging

new markets Un-paralleled tourism assets



Response: Asset based, community oriented


Economic Development Preparedness


2008 Tourism Assessment

Tourism Development


Festival surveys First impressions visits

& reports Tourism Council

Education Committee Communicating the

impact of tourism: “Making the Most of Our Great Places” & case studies

Tourism Development


Entrepreneurship & Business Development Collaborative Inventors & Entrepreneurs Clubs


Entrepreneurship & Small Development Collaborative Inventors & Entrepreneurs Clubs


Entrepreneurship & Business Development One-on-one business education


Community Philanthropy


Community Philanthropy

Develop an economic development focused community fund

Convene stakeholder group Educate fund board and community about basic

economic development principles Document program impacts (river cleanup, feasibility

study, farmers market coupons) Strategic planning: mission “Creates stronger

communities by matching generosity with economic needs”

Community & Comprehensive Planning

Facilitate County Planning process Comprehensive planning workshop

series One-on-one meetings with town-

village plan commissions Comprehensive Planning Teaching

Packet Communicate planning concepts

and status to elected officials Assess county-wide tax bill survey

and communicate results Public open houses

County, Town, Village Planning

Significant Teaching EventEconomic and Small Business Recovery Following the Gays Mills Flooding Disaster

Gays Mills, population 625 was severely

impacted by flooding of the Kickapoo River

in 2007 and 2008

Significant Teaching Event

Lack of leadership structure - decision making capacity

Lack of support for business recovery Need for education about alternatives-

relocate or stay? Urgent needs versus long term planning

Significant Teaching EventResponse: Economic impact of flooding

report Assessment of business needs Counseling for flood affected

businesses “Information for Businesses

Affected by Flooding”

Significant Teaching EventResponse:Economic Development &

Flood Recovery Tour

Significant Teaching Event Building Communities

Education Series Gays Mills Business Survey Comprehensive Planning

Education “Land Use Tracker”

Significant Teaching Event Comprehensive planning $25,000 grant UW Madison Landscape Architecture Student Gays Mills Kitchen Incubator Use Survey

Program ImpactsSurvey results incorporated into long

term recovery plansCommunity residents had access to

information for informed decision-making

Village will adopt a comprehensive plan in 2010

Businesses and entrepreneurs are receiving timely and appropriate information

Program ImpactsCommunity & Economic Development Newsletter annual evaluation Inventors & Entrepreneurs Club membership survey Crawford County Community Fund Tourism Assessment process participant survey

“I think often of where Crawford County would be without Laura and I can tell you that we would be at least two years behind in the progress we've made. She is a tremendous champion who can work with many different types of people and who has worked

extremely hard to put Crawford County on the map.” “Laura was responsible for giving us the idea [of the Community Fund]...

None of this would have happened without her.”

Program ImpactsComprehensive Planning 18 of 21 communities have completed a plan Plan commissions are functional and active Broader countywide understanding of the value of

planning- plan passed county board unanimously Broader understanding of resident perceptions by

elected officials “We don’t want to be the Dells”

Program ImpactsComprehensive Planning Annual evaluation of my role with local plan

commissions

“I am so grateful for Laura. Her persistent steady and very informed approach is why Gays Mills even started the planning process. She coached us forward and has

given our plan commission so much support.”

“When I agreed to help our Plan Commission develop a plan, Laura was invaluable in helping me to quickly

become familiar with what would be required, answering questions, providing fact sheets & other resources. She

has been our Plan Commission's primary source of information on the planning process.”

“Laura has brought a wealth of programs and information to our county – her leadership is unsurpassed.”

Accountability to UW Extension

Annual planning and reporting Regular attendance at district and program area meetings Service on CNRED/ Cross Program Area Teams

Tourism Team Emerging Agricultural Markets Team Sustainability Team Southern District CNRED Liaison CCED Building Communities Webinar Series Site CCED Revitalizing Downtowns Webinar Series Site

Service in CRD Department Research and Studies Committee

Service in WEECDA Active Member

Accountability to Crawford County

Monthly Ag & Extension Committee report County office annual report Monthly media releases Bi-monthly newsletter and website Letters to elected officials regarding

upcoming programs Regular education and reports to County

Board Formal and informal needs assessments:

surveys, conversations, monitoring media

Future Program DirectionsSustainable, Community Based Economic

Development Formation of a County Economic Development Corporation /

Economic Development Needs Assessment & Summit Collaborative opportunities for City and County Energy Independence Planning and Implementation

Energy efficiencyRenewablesEnergy Independence Teams- Natural Step Circles

Local foods Initiatives (Farm to School, farmers markets) Possible future areas of study / research- community

resiliency, asset based economic development strategies, economic and business development following disasters, links between leadership and economic development, local foods focus as an economic development strategy, rural “food deserts,” eco-tourism

Professional Development

Economic Development Certification Community Development Society American Planning Association CNRED Symposium/Colloquium- October

All staff Conference Explore opportunities for research / PhD, or

additional masters degree

Questions and Discussion

Thank you!

Laura [email protected]

Blog: fyi.uwex.edu/crawfordcommunityWebsite: bit.ly/crawfordcommunity

Laura brown three year review

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