Volume 4, Issue 7

RDC Commission

www.ruralnebraska.info

RURAL

DEVELOPMENT

COMMISSIONERS:

Executive

Committee:

M.L. Martin

Tim Shafer

Charles Karpf, Jr.

Ross Garwood

Commissioners:

Steve Ausdemore

Richard Baier

Karl Elmshaeuser

Edgar Hicks

Greg Ibach

John Jordison

Marge Lauer

Gayle McClure

Mark L. Matulka

Marilyn Mecham

Lance Morgan

Maxine Moul

Bryce Neidig

Connie Reimers-Hild

Tim Shafer

Michael Smith

Senator Stuthman

Kerry Winterer

September 2009

NEW COMMISSIONERS WELCOMED

The recent announcement of Kerry Winterer as CEO of Health and Human Services has filled one of

two vacant seats on the Rural Development Commission.

Kerry assumed his new duties July 13. He has a

bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of

Nebraska-Lincoln and graduated from Columbia Univer-

sity School of Law in New York. In 1999, Kerry was

named Nebraska’s Champion of Small Business by the

Nebraska Business Development Council. He has

served on various community organizations boards, in-

cluding United Way, Boy Scouts of America, and the Heart-

land Family Service.

The second vacant seat will be filled by Maxine Moul as she begins

her new position as State Director of USDA-Rural Develop-

ment. Maxine’s long and prestigious career in Nebraska in-

cludes previously serving as Lt. Governor, Director of the

Nebraska Department of Economic Development, President

of Nebraska Community Foundation and EndowNebraska

Coordinator. She and her husband also founded Maverick

Media in Syracuse. She is a graduate of the University of

Nebraska-Lincoln with a degree in journalism.

The legislature added a seat to the Commission and

reserved it for the Nebraska Historical Society. Michael

Smith, Director/Chief Executive Officer of the Nebraska State Historical Soci-

ety since 2006, is the newest member of the Commission.

An Illinois native, Smith holds Master’s degrees in Manage-

ment and American History. Before coming to Nebraska

he served as President/CEO of the American Textile His-

tory Museum in Lowell, Mass. Previously, he was Execu-

tive Director of the Tennessee Historical Commission,

Putnam Museum of History and Natural Science in Daven-

port, Iowa, and Buffalo, New York Museum of Science, as

well as President of the American Association for State

and Local History, and Deputy Director for the Michigan

Historical Museum.

Page 2 Newsletter Title

RDC COMMISSION MEETS IN OGALLALA

The RDC held its regularly scheduled meeting in August at the Ogallala Court House

with several special guests, including Senators Hansen and, Schilz,. Senator Stuthman, the RDC’s

legislative representative, also was in attendance. The meeting was preceded by a special interim

review of the Agricultural Innovation and Value-Added, and the Building Entrepreneurial grant

programs. The interim information will be updated and shared

with all senators in the RDC annual report.

Lori and Pat Gamet (5 Trails Winery in Paxton) shared

their VAA success story about their new winery and how the grant

program has impacted their business and the Paxton community.

They spoke about future business plans, the opportunities for

other grape producers, and proudly announced they had just re-

ceived award notifications for three of their wines.

New RDC commissioners, Steve Ausdemore and Kerry

Winter attended and were welcomed to the Commission.

Meeting highlights included presentations on the Rusty Bucket evaluation of local economies, a recap of a study on people relocating

to Nebraska, NCIP Leadership Challenge information, and a look at

another state’s broadband mapping and redundancy program. Busi-

ness included the passage of the Commission’s legislative plan.

The Commission also announced the First Annual “Rural Ne-

braska Views” photo contest which will run through November 20.

See page 3 for the “Rural Nebraska Views” photo contest rules and

more information. RDC meeting minutes can be found at

www.ruralnebraska.info.

The next scheduled RDC meeting is Nov. 5 in Kearney.

Page 3

RURAL NEBRASKA VIEWS PHOTO CONTEST

The Nebraska Rural Development Commission is pleased to

launch the first Rural Nebraska Views photo contest.

Each photographer may enter up to four (4) photographs taken in the

state that expresses a “view” of rural Nebraska, which may include, but is

not limited to:

Landscapes

Festivals and events

Landmarks

Agricultural-related activities

Other expressions celebrating rural Nebraska

Photos do not have to be current, but the photographer must submit entries

within one of the following age groups that he or she will have attained as of

December 31, 2009:

Class I – Pre-school Class II – Grades K-6

Class III – Grades 7-12

Class IV – Adult (graduated from high school or 18+)

First, second, and third place prizes will be named for each Class.

Entry Requirements:

Entries will be accepted through November 20, 2009

Color and/or black-and-white photos will be accepted.

Photos must be .jpg digital images no larger than 2 MB.

Photos must be submitted electronically to

RDC.intern@nebraska.gov.

Mailed submissions will NOT be accepted.

The photographer’s name, age category, phone number, email ad-

dress and mail address must be identified in the submission email.

Identification of the event or location is also requested.

By submitting photos, you are asserting you own the right to the photo and are

permitting the Nebraska Rural Development Commission and the Nebraska

Department of Economic Development to use your photos in any future

marketing materials.

All submissions will be reviewed for appropriate content, and subsequently

deemed eligible or ineligible for judging. Prize winners will be selected by a

committee of professionals including photographers and marketing experts.

Winners will be announced, their photos displayed on the Nebraska Rural De-

velopment Commission website www.ruralnebraska.info

and featured in the Commission newsletter.

For more information, contact

linda.fettig@nebraska.gov

Page 4

Web based

trainings

available

on

a

variety

of

topics

Be sure to get the Extension eShip Webinars that are listed be-low down in your calendar for the next year. The one hour webinars will be held the third Tuesday of each month at 10:00 a.m. CST/9:00 a.m. MST. Topics scheduled will feature many of the resources that community leaders can use as they work toward developing a sustainable community. The first session will be on Tuesday, September 22 at 10:00 a.m. CST at http://breeze.unl.edu/eship09/ . This webinar will feature the multi-use 4-H Entrepreneurship Investigation (ESI) program. This curriculum can be implemented in middle school, high school classrooms, taught via camps, after school clubs or to 4-H audiences. By involving the youth and adult business people in the community youth learn that their com-munities are interested in them returning back home. Join the webinar to learn how you can incorporate this successful program into your commu-nity. Extension eShip Webinar Schedule Link: http://breeze.unl.edu/eship09/ September 22, 2009 – ESI (Youth Entrepreneurship Investigation-Incorporating It Into Communities) – Dennis Kahl/Nancy Eberle/ October 20, 2009 – SBIR (Small Business Innovation Research) – Lisa Tedesco November 17, 2009 – Nebraska EDGE – Marilyn Schlake December 15, 2009 – Nebraska Cooperative Development Center – Jim Crandall January 19, 2010 – Entrepreneurial Thinking – Connie Reimers-Hild February 16, 2010 – eCommerce – Connie Hancock March 16, 2010 – Buy Fresh Buy Local – Billene Nemec April 20, 2010 – Market Research – Steve Taylor– UNL Food Processing Center May 18, 2010 – Direct Marketing – Laurie Hodges June 15, 2010 – Security Podcast – MarilynSchlake/Connie Hancock July 20, 2010 – Developing Your Product – Lori Keeler More information on the Extension Entrepreneurship Initiative can be found at http://huskerpreneur.wordpress.com/

ENTREPRENEURIAL TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES

REMINDER: The Nebraska Agricultural Innovation and Value-Added

Agriculture grant applications and the Building Entrepreneurial Com-

munities grant applications are due FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 25 no

later than noon. See www.ruralnebraska.info for application forms or

Sandi Kaskie

Assistant to the Director

Phone: 308-535-8018

Fax: 308-535-8019

E-mail:

Sandra.Kaskie@nebraska.gov

The Rural Development Commission

advocates for effective development

in rural Nebraska.

The Nebraska Rural Development Commission is a voice for

rural communities in the creation of laws, policies, and other

initiatives that affect economic, civic, and social conditions and

foster cooperation and understanding among all agencies and

organizations, public and private.

The Nebraska Rural Development Commission helps commu-

nities and businesses maximize opportunities by improving ac-

cess to capital and resources, markets, products, and business

expertise (mentoring) as well as social and cultural resources.

September 25—APPLICATION DEADLINE

Building Entrepreneurial Communities grant

AND

Agricultural Innovation and Value-Added Agriculture grant

Looking ahead:

Oct. 20-22—Nebraska Travel Conference—Norfolk

Oct. 24—”From Recipe to Reality” seminar—Scottsbluff

Nov. 5—RDC meeting—Kearney

Nov. 6—Governor’s Conference on Rural

Development — Kearney

Jan. 7—RDC meeting and Senatorial Brief-

ing—Lincoln

Feb. 24—Marketplace—Kearney

MARK YOUR CALENDARS

We’re on the Web:

www.ruralnebraska.info

Nebraska Rural

Development Commission

1101 Halligan Drive #10

North Platte, NE 69101

Linda Fettig

Executive Director

Phone and cell:

308-380-4966

Fax: 308-749-2223

E-mail:

Linda.Fettig@nebraska.gov