Representing the U.P. on the Collaborative Development Council
Posted by Amy Clickner on April 28, 2011
Lately I have spent a lot of time in Lansing. Needless to say, there are so many changes going on with the new administration (newly elected officials, new senior leadership and a new direction) that it is difficult to keep up living 400 miles away! However, making sure that Marquette County and the Upper Peninsula have a voice at the table remains a strategic objective priority of the LSCP.
Currently, I have the pleasure of representing the Upper Peninsula on the Michigan Economic Development Corporation’s (MEDC) Collaborative Development Council (CDC). In return, I work with local economic development partners from across the Upper Peninsula to get feedback, share information and look for ways to collaborate.
The Collaborative Development Council is a partnership between local and regional economic development agencies and the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC). The Council’s purpose is to provide strategic direction and programmatic input to the MEDC senior leadership team. This working group is intended to help advance the state of Michigan’s economic development through strengthening the relationships, leveraging the assets and improving the flow of communication, and project management between the MEDC and local partners.
The CDC has three main task forces each with different purposes:
· Incentives/MEDC Discretionary Budget is designated to make recommendations to the Governor on how to revamp the State’s incentive tool kit in a way that is consistent with the Governor’s proposals. It’s also their job to explore best uses of the General Fund and 21st Century Jobs Fund dollars for FY11 and FY12.
· Michigan Works! and Workforce Training works to develop the best method of providing employer driven workforce programs in Michigan, with the Workforce Investment Act and other federal and state resources, as well as to increase the connectivity to economic development initiatives.
· SmartZone Program (Regional Competition) examines how to use the SmartZone network as a true statewide service delivery network; review legislation, etc.
The efforts of the CDC are very transparent and being documented on the MEDC website, http://www.michiganadvantage.org. Currently we meet every two weeks and the meetings are highly energetic, with both short term and long term strategies being defined. No moss is growing on this rock!!
There is a major theme rising across all the departments that I have met with in Lansing, and it’s that jobs are the priority in the State of Michigan. Silos are being broken down and dots are being connected between various departments, with customer service being emphasized, all in the name of job creation. It is honestly refreshing to hear everyone on the same page and I look forward to being a part of the mix. Stay tuned for continued updates on the CDC and its affect on U.P. economic development!
For more information on the Lake Superior Community Partnership, please call 226-6591 or visit our Web site at www.marquette.org.
