WEDA Wire – October 14, 2022

As WEDA Board Chair, I have the fortunate pleasure of traveling around The Great State of Wisconsin meeting many business leaders, entrepreneurs, and professionals who work tirelessly to make their communities better. I love to hear their stories and listening to their struggles, their failures, their bounce backs, their successes, and their victories. They all fill me with an overwhelming glow of admiration, respect, and thankfulness. WOW! These are the professionals that make up the Wisconsin Economic Development Association! Every one of you are special to me, and to WEDA.

Like me, going back to 1975 (the year WEDA was founded), the Chair of this organization has listened to our members stories, as it is these stories that drive our organization to excel and meet our member’s needs. Through advocacy, networking, and education, we provide our members with the additional resources, support, and tools to strengthen their skills so they can continue to do what they do best –promote economic growth in their communities!

2022 CEDA Awards

Establishing a platform that our members can utilize to talk about their successes – one that strengthens and helps grow their businesses, their organizations, and/or their programs – is what our Community and Economic Development Awards (CEDA) program is all about. The very idea of the awards came from our members that needed an additional way to help tell their story. The CEDA awards recognize outstanding economic development achievements by our members, organization volunteers, communities, companies, and legislators. They help further the story of economic development and were given out at our Fall Best Practices Conference last month.

Public recognition through the CEDA awards exposes all nominees to new clients, can differentiate your organization from competitors, and hopefully helps one view themselves in from a different more positive light as they go through the process of telling their story. A CEDA nomination is a form of recognition, so simply going through the recognition process does provide an awesome experience and exposure. Congratulations to all the 2022 nominees and award winners.

Being perfectly honest-I feel that I haven’t even scratched the surface on hearing from our members and learning what cool and exciting things our members have been up to. The CEDA awards reminded me that there are so many more stories still to be told. Recently, the WEDA Board of Directors gathered to review and adjust the organization’s Strategic Work Plan. I have since encouraged WEDA Board member to reach out to the membership just to listen. I too will be reaching out to as many members as possible to gain feedback and hear your stories!  I believe this is a great way we can continue to position the organization where you would like it to be in the future, whether that’s one, three, or five years from today. I look forward to the conversation.

Hello WEDA! Raise your hands if you LOVE the beauty and splendor of Wisconsin in the Autumn!  The trees lining my street have just turned to a magnificent crimson and gold canopy. I hope you and yours can take the time to get out and enjoy this lovely season whether you’re hiking, biking, or visiting a pumpkin patch with the kiddos!

In my last WEDA Wire message, I told you to expect a spectacular WEDA Fall Best Practices Conference in La Crosse – and I’m proud to say we delivered. Full credit goes to our talented speakers and presenters, and to the dedicated conference planning committee members who sought out valuable session content and engaging, expert speakers.

We also took time to recognize and celebrate initiatives and businesses across Wisconsin at the 2022 Community and Economic Development Awards luncheon. #WINNING and Congratulations to winners. The finalists rose to the top because their projects demonstrated the best of the best in collaboration, passion, and mobilization of efforts that have had a positive impact in their hometowns and have helped to advance the Wisconsin economy.

Today, we are pouring over the finalists to determine which of these will form the basis of our 2023 Fall Best Practices case study sessions!  Mark your calendars now Sept 27-29, 2023, in downtown Wausau!

While you are marking your calendar, please also keep these dates in mind:

• WEDA Academy: Basics of Tax Incremental Financing webinar – November 2, 2022 (1:30 P.M. – 3:00 P.M.)
• WEDA Governor’s Conference on Economic Development (Milwaukee) – February 1-3, 2023

What’s in your individual professional development plan?

Do you plan to pursue the International Economic Development Council (IEDC) Certified Economic Developer (CEcD) credential? The Wisconsin Basic Economic Development Course (BEDC) is a pre-requisite to IEDC’s CEcD pursuit. If you’re not taking the CEcD route but working in an industry which requires you to understand best practices in economic and community development, the BEDC provides an excellent introduction to economic development, funding, entrepreneurship, business retention and expansion practices, successful real estate redevelopment initiatives and much more. If these are areas of interest to you, then you’ll want to plan and budget for WEDA’s Wisconsin BEDC, which is accredited by IEDC. WEDA is currently reviewing site proposals and plans to conduct the BEDC in May, 2023.

Economic Development 101

Would you like your public officials, board members and residents to better understand and support economic development efforts? Then you’ll be happy to learn that WEDA takes its ED 101-Economic Development for Local Leaders on the road this fall.  We will be in Jefferson County, Trempeauleau County, and the Oshkosh area to deliver economic and community development concepts and facts along with best practices in applying economic development theory to your hometown. Our curriculum is designed and customized specifically to provide information foundational to economic development policies and practices affecting your area. Call me at 414.699.3917  if you want to discuss hosting nan ED 101 course.

WEDA is committed to an inclusive approach where equal opportunities exist for all our members and partners. We strive to support a diverse, equitable, and inclusive community that creates a sense of belonging and an environment that includes all backgrounds and perspectives.

WEDC Secretary and CEO Missy Hughes

In late February of this year, Deputy Secretary Sam Rikkers and I had the privilege of visiting Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.  We had envisioned traveling there to visit some companies who have a presence in Wisconsin and to learn more about the state of manufacturing and business in those countries.

However, what we envisioned became something very different when three days before we landed, Russia invaded Ukraine.

As we sat down to our first dinner with officials from Wisconsin’s sister state of Hessen, it became clear that our purpose for being there was much greater than we thought.  For 45 years, we have had this relationship with Hessen, a state in Germany that is remarkably like our state – agriculture and manufacturing form the foundation of their economy, some tourism, lots of beer.  But the relationship is akin to old family ties – there are cultural ties and even actual family ties: I was able to meet my mother’s first cousins in Weisbaden while we were there.

So during that first dinner with the Minister of Digitalization, Kristina Sinemus, welcomed us with tears in her eyes and fear in her voice, we began to understand.  And the next morning in meeting with other Hessen business and state leaders, they articulated the fears – energy security, food security, refugees, and of course, violence that they were now grappling with.  As we walked one morning we saw the frantic loading of a truck with diapers and clothes and food.  We knew where that truck was headed.

It seemed initially that our visit would be overwhelmed with news and conversation about the war.  But what actually happened was quite different. The discussions were about relationships and how we could strengthen our connections – because it is through the long-term relationships of businesses doing business with each other, or students studying abroad and living with families, or seminars and conferences, that we would be able to stay as allies, supporting each other and having each other’s backs.

Indeed, it was precisely the time for economic development to be in the room – because it’s economic development that creates relationships and networks and that acknowledges the importance of community and prosperity.  Economic development doesn’t just try to fix the past, but it thinks about the future.

Over the last few years, our collective experiences have hammered this point home. Across the changes wrought by pandemic, war, climate change, economic and racial inequities, and political polarization, one lesson has been consistent: economic development is not about numbers and rankings, or about inputs and outputs, or profit and loss margins, or buildings and capital investments.

It’s about people.

Whether we’re in business or government, education or community development, we do what we do because of and for the people in our communities. We think of our families, our neighbors, our friends, our colleagues, our co-workers and our bosses. We think about the store owners, the folks who serve us coffee in the morning, the people who build our houses and fix our cars, who manufacture our cutting-edge technologies and care for our children.

Putting people first has transformed our work and our relationships at WEDC. We continue to invest in businesses – large and small – and in communities, but our focus is on how these investments are benefiting people.

It means that when we talk about creating jobs, we need to ask: How much do these jobs pay?  Are these family-sustaining jobs? Are these investments creating opportunities for people who may not have had these kinds of chances before? And what kind of resources do communities need to attract and support workers?

Many of our recent initiatives have focused on building relationships and supporting our Wisconsin communities. We recognize at WEDC that, as a statewide organization, we don’t have all the answers. Problems are often best recognized and solved by people at the local level, with the state providing the resources to make those much-needed changes happen. That’s the guiding principle behind both our Main Street Bounceback Grants and the Workforce Innovation Grants – that we at the state level act as the catalyst for local leaders to innovate and advocate for the people in their communities.

As we work together on some of the big challenges ahead of us — such as workforce, sustainability, and competitiveness – we must keep our focus on people. Our experience with the Workforce Innovation Grants, for example, has demonstrated that meeting the needs of workers outside the workplace – for things like housing, training and education, and transportation – is often just as critical as finding the right people for a job.

Similarly, our drive to keep our businesses competitive requires not just a knowledge of the latest technological trends but a deeper understanding of the human element – how these changes will transform our relationships with workers and their work.

As partners in economic development, let’s continue to keep the people and the communities we serve top of mind. Together, Wisconsin can approach the future – through relationships, and communication, through the open exchange of ideas with all communities.  We can know that by hearing all voices and bringing everyone to the table we can have each other’s backs, we can succeed and be prosperous.

Missy Hughes is secretary and CEO of the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation, the state’s leading economic development organization.

The latest Marquette University Law School Poll, which was conducted October 3-9 and released on October 12 shows incumbent Tony Evers (D) and Tim Michels (R) in an extremely close race for governor, and has incumbent Sen. Ron Johnson (R) expanding his lead against his Democratic opponent, current Wisconsin Lt. Governor Mandela Barnes leading, in the contest for U.S. Senate. Please find below highlights of the poll:

Wisconsin Governor’s Race:

• Wisconsin Voters’ Preference for Governor (among likely voters):
  • Governor Tony Evers (Democrat) – 47%
  • Tim Michels (Republicans) – 46%
  • Joan Beglinger (Independent) – 4% (Beglinger has dropped out of the race but will remain on the ballot)
  • Other – 3%

In the September poll, Evers received 47%, Michels 44%, and Beglinger 5%.

• Evers Favorability:
  • Favorable: 44%
  • Unfavorable: 46%
  • Haven’t heard enough: 6%
  • Don’t know: 4%

• Michels Favorability:
  • Favorable: 36%
  • Unfavorable: 36%
  • Haven’t heard enough: 20%
  • Don’t know: 8%

Wisconsin U.S. Senate Race:

• Wisconsin Voters’ Preference for U.S. Senate (among likely voters):
  • Senator Ron Johnson (Republican): 52%
  • Governor Mandela Barnes (Democrat): 46%

In the September poll, Johnson received 49% and Barnes 48%

• Barnes Favorability:
  • Favorable: 39%
  • Unfavorable: 40%
  • Haven’t heard enough: 15%
  • Don’t know: 6%

• Johnson Favorability:
  • Favorable: 41%
  • Unfavorable: 45%
  • Haven’t heard enough: 9%
  • Don’t know: 5%

CLICK HERE to read the complete results from the latest Marquette University Poll.

Anne Katz, Director of Create Wisconsin

The stakes have never been higher for Wisconsin. Continued economic prosperity statewide depends upon our ability to meet workforce needs and address equitable quality of life issues. The current reality is that there are not currently enough working adults to fill existing and projected jobs throughout Wisconsin, and the labor market only continues to tighten.

Indeed, a new report titled “Moving In? Exploring Wisconsin’s Migration Challenges” by Forward Analytics, the nonpartisan research arm of the Wisconsin Counties Association, highlights Wisconsin’s workforce issues, including the ongoing challenges with attracting young people to the state. To address widening workforce gaps due to impending retirements, the report suggests a multipronged approach is needed to better attract talent, including bolstering amenities that appeal to young adults.

Rural Wisconsin stakeholders had a similar unifying message to the Governor’s Commission on Rural Prosperity: “small investments in arts and culture can leverage big dividends in the viability of rural economies and local prosperity.” The Commission’s 2020 report recommends that “to ensure young and new people want to make rural Wisconsin their home, implement a strategy that includes support for the arts.”

Importantly, state investments in arts and culture as a strategy for a more prosperous economic future are on the rise. Earlier this year, Iowa Governor Terry Reynolds announced a  $100 million investment in Destination Iowa, a new grant program to support economic development, outdoor recreation, tourism and creative placemaking.  Arizona Governor Doug Dace recently approved a $5 million investment in the Arizona Commission on the Arts to improve opportunities for Arizonans to engage in the arts. The funding will also bring per-capita funding for the arts in Arizona up to a level comparable to such regional peer-states as Nevada and New Mexico.

When it comes to per-capita funding for arts and culture, Wisconsin not only ranks 50th nationally in 2022, but lags significantly behind Minnesota which ranks third nationally at $7.34 per-capita, while Illinois is at $5.04 per capita. Coincidentally, Forward Analytics found that of the nearly 160,000 Wisconsin residents to move to a neighboring state between 2012 and 2020, more than 62,000 moved to Illinois while more than 65,000 moved to Minnesota.

Now is the time for Wisconsin to invest in the creative economy to ensure that the state remains a place where people want to live, work, and play. Create Wisconsin is seeking state support for the Grow Wisconsin Creatively Initiative, an economic, workforce, and civic development program that can be a critical step in the state’s talent development and retention strategy. This investment will help to increase the number of people available to meet the job needs of our employers, as well as bolster state tourism efforts by fostering the growth and development of arts and cultural assets that are uniquely Wisconsin.

Contact Create Wisconsin (info@createwisconsin.org) for more information.

It was great to reconnect with my economic development friends at the Best Practices Conference and Academy programs in La Crosse at the end of September.  The weather was spectacular, and the conference and programs were informative and engaging.  I enjoy learning about initiatives underway to address the many challenges that our communities are facing.

A big thank you goes out to our presenters for the September 28 Academy program – Best Practices in Workforce Attraction –  which included Rebecca Deschane, Vice President, Talent Development at New North Inc.; Scott Hodek, Section Chief, Office of Economic Advisors, Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development; Steven Janke, Founder and CEO, Mission Wisconsin; Scott Champion, Vice President of Marketing and Brand Strategy, WEDC; Tasha Jenkins, Director, Bureau of Job Service and Becky Kikkert, Director, Office of Special Initiatives with the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development; and, Beth Franklin, Community Concierge and Neal Zygarlicke, CEO at the La Crosse Area Chamber of Commerce.

The program provided a broad look at workforce attraction, including using data to support efforts, targeted attraction opportunities, and an in-depth look at successful talent attraction initiatives developed by the La Crosse Area Chamber of Commerce.

On November 2, the Academy will host its final webinar for 2022 – Basics of Tax Increment Financing.  Sean Lentz, CIPMA, Senior Municipal Advisor, and Josh Low, Senior Finance Specialist, Ehlers, Inc. will serve as instructors for this program.  This course will provide a foundational understanding of Tax Increment Financing (TIF) based upon current program rules and best practices.  After completing this course, participants should have an understanding of what TIF is, how it can benefit their communities, and how they can start to use this important local economic development tool.  If you are new to Tax Increment Financing (TIF), have board members or local officials that would benefit from an introduction to the fundamentals or if you need a refresher on current requirements, I encourage you to register. Registration will be available shortly on the WEDA website.

Planning is starting for the slate of 2023 Academy programs. We want to make sure that WEDA is meeting your educational needs.  I encourage you to reach out to me at kheady@weda.org if you have any program ideas, topic suggestions or if you are interested in serving as an instructor.