Heart of Wisconsin
Business & Economic Alliance and
Community Foundation of Greater
South Wood County
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A Joint Initiative Between Heart of Wisconsin Business & Economic Alliance and Community Foundation of Greater South Wood County |
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Breaking News March, 2005 - Community Progress Initiative - Rebuilding a Community in "Rapid" Time, a Model of Community Engagement to Create Vibrant Communities VANGUARD, the newsletter of Community Development Society Many communities across America are losing thousands of good paying manufacturing jobs through plant closures, global competition, layoffs and buyouts. People are struggling with ways to face this issue and the Community Progress Initiative is being recognized as a best practice model of rapid recovery programming for rebuilding communities in our new economy. The Community Progress Initiative, a collaborative response to address community need promotes responsible, collaborative, and visionary citizenship to transform outdated attitudes and invigorate the economy at the local level and beyond. It offers an intense, holistic system of integrated programs that any community in the country, large or small, can use to engage residents from all walks of life, community leaders, entrepreneurs, business owners, and elected officials in creating unique and exciting plans for their shared future. The Community Progress Initiative aims to create self-reliant, innovative communities with prosperous local economies. The case study of local empowerment to stimulate a dependent, paper mill town transformation into a vibrant community, Community Progress Initiative in Central Wisconsin area (population 40,000+) USA examines two tracks of programming implemented to build the community's capacity and economy in rapid time frame due to crisis of major job layoffs. 1. Building a strong and positive community 2. Creating a business friendly culture People chose to live, work and invest in vibrant communities where fresh ideas are appreciated, diversity is celebrated and unique activities are abundant. The community building programs offered through this initiative engage the community to “make it happen.” In this increasingly competitive and mobile world, communities with a business friendly culture attract successful businesses. These innovative programs – to create a business friendly culture – encourage the expansion of existing businesses, provide technical assistance to start-up businesses, link to investment capital, and proactively build a diverse and dynamic business base for the community. Through Industry Cluster Networks, a maximum level of engagement in the business sector of the community fosters new ideas, momentum and enthusiasm to reach new heights and stimulate a positive culture for business growth from within. The foundation of success is grounded in comprehensive community leadership development and establishing a strong community vision for all of the community to rally around. The Heart of Wisconsin Community Incubator and Community Foundation of South Wood County, with the guidance of David Beurle of Innovative Leadership Australia and the team leader responsible for the 2002 CDS Innovative Project-Progress Rural Western Australia, designed and developed the Community Progress Initiative in October 2003 as the implementation tool to fulfill on their strategic planning efforts, and those of the region. The Initiative launched in April 2004 with the following projected outcomes: Community Progress Initiative—projected outcomes for 2004-2006
2. Number of area entrepreneurs, business owners, and residents of central Wisconsin who inspire community spirit and pride, and collaborate to create a vibrant economy through community building: 1,500+ annually 3. Number of Community Progress Teams formed and led by local citizens to advance community vision, leadership, collaboration, and action: 7 4. Number of new community funds established with matching opportunities and overseen by local citizens: 7 5. Number of area entrepreneurs and business owners to be assisted with establishing and developing thriving business concerns: 900 6. Number of jobs to be created and/or retained in central Wisconsin: 1,000 7. Number of formal presentations made to and contacts with other communities in Wisconsin and across the country to share successful program strategies and benefits: 50-60 contacts reaching over 1,000 people. The problem. Southern Wood County, the Heart of Wisconsin area, has lost 3,500 jobs since the year 2000. In a rural area with total employment of approximately 12,000 people, this job loss represents a stunning 25% reduction in employment. Current rates of unemployment do not accurately reflect this dramatic decrease, as so many residents and their families have left to seek opportunities elsewhere. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, most towns, villages, and cities in southern Wood County saw local populations drop between 2000 and 2003. Property values have declined; “For Sale” signs proliferate in residential neighborhoods; retail stores have closed and stand empty. What happened? Consolidated Papers, Inc., the major employer in the area for decades, was sold to Stora Enso Oyj in February 2000. Major job reductions quickly followed, including the elimination of well-paid positions at all levels. Stora Enso North America, as part of its “Profit Enhancement Program,” also plans to cut more than 600 additional jobs in Wisconsin by mid 2005, including 350 in Wisconsin Rapids and Biron. These staff reductions, as well as mass layoffs by other local employers, have damaged communities in the area, affecting not only the economy, but also the need for health and human services. Morale plummeted. Many long established families left the area. Not just the economy has been damaged—personal attitudes and belief in the future have also suffered, a particularly insidious loss that is hard to measure and even more difficult to remedy. The solution: Broad based community leadership, personal responsibility, dedicated teamwork among all residents, entrepreneurial opportunities, and business growth. Increasing the number of new businesses and new jobs in the Heart of Wisconsin area by promoting and supporting each individual resident's long-term investment in our shared community is vital to the economic well-being of the people who live in the region. Central Wisconsin residents from all walks of life, entrepreneurs, business owners, and community leaders are collaborating to create a new culture and imaginative approaches to solving economic and community problems, building morale, and generating opportunities for leadership and business innovation. The name of this three year project—now in the second year—is the Community Progress Initiative. GOAL: To create a “business-friendly,” innovative, self-reliant, and entrepreneurial culture in the Heart of Wisconsin area to produce new job growth, build community wealth, and create a vibrant economy. The Community Progress Initiative responds to the ongoing area crisis of massive layoffs of paper industry employees by reinventing the community culture and diversifying the economy. It provides opportunities for every area resident —regardless of age, gender, social status, education, or ethnic background—to come forward as a community leader whose unique voice must be heard. During the 2004 pilot year, we estimate that almost 2,000 people participated in the wide range of program activities associated with the Community Progress Initiative, creating a powerful ripple effect resulting in new businesses established by entrepreneurs, new job opportunities, and an increasing individual commitment to the well being of the community as a whole. Some of the accomplishments to date include:
Summary The Progress initiative is changing the community culture to stimulate new enterprises, build endowed charitable assets, a stronger community spirit and create a common shared vision for people and communities in the region. It is designed as a collaborative partnership between the Heart of Wisconsin and Community Foundation of South Wood County with active participation and leadership sought from other organizations, educational institutions, support agencies and communities of the area. The initiative provides technical assistance and entrepreneurial training for private business enterprises including new start-up and existing businesses, with a targeted focus of assisting the dislocated worker population. The second year of programming, consists of several new components to compliment the traditional one on one Business Development Technical Assistance for start up and existing businesses to improve their success rate and operations to allow growth. Some of the new elements include the Small Business School (multi-media programming), expanded Business Angel Network, Ideas Incubator, Entrepreneur Club/Mentoring Network and redesigned Entrepreneurial Boot Camps, delivery and leadership/business skill building. Project Design and Management Team Expertise Connie Loden is the Executive Director for Heart of Wisconsin Business & Economic Alliance, coordinating community economic development for the Greater Wisconsin Rapids area. Connie, a CDS Board Member, has worked with leadership and community economic development programs, locally and internationally including Progress Rural Western Australia, to build community capacity. Connie serves as Board Member and Past-President of Wisconsin Rural Leadership and Wisconsin Rural Partners, which she brought together to collaborate in the Wisconsin Community Leadership Summit. She co-chaired the Lt. Governor's Task Force on Leadership and Political Participation in the Wisconsin Women=Prosperity Initiative. Kelly Lucas is the President/CEO of Community Foundation of South Wood County, supporting community endowment building and catalytic action towards community improvement. Lucas serves as member and past chair of the CEO Network of The Council on Foundations, vice-chair of the Wisconsin Division of Community Foundations and member of the Wisconsin Community Foundations National Standards Implementation Committee. David Beurle is the Managing Director of Innovative Leadership Australia, a Western Australian company specializing in rural leadership and innovative rural community economic development. The company works directly with community, government and industry leaders in the USA and Australia to stimulate leadership, creative thinking and community engagement within rural communities. David has extensive international experience in the agricultural industry, rural community development and rural leadership. Through his development of the Project Rural Western Australia initiative, which received the 2002 CDS Innovative Project Award for use of the CDS Best Practices in providing innovation in community development, the success in creating community empowerment through multiple, integrated programs became evident. Many of these principles have been applied in the Community Progress Initiative. For more information on VANGUARD click here |
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