Welcome to MEDA Online News

Welcome to MEDA Online News. The purpose of this webpage is to serve as a communication link within the MEDA membership. It is to be a member-to-member site to inform MEDA Members as to news within our organization. Let’s keep it simple: MEDA will send you an email to let you know when articles have been updated. If you would like to submit an article, an idea, a comment—please do. Let’s keep in touch and keep our network strong. Previous editions: January 2006; February 2006;    March 2006;   April 2006;
May 2006;   June 2006;  July 2006; August 2006; September 2006; October 2006; November 2006; December 2006; January 2007; February 2007; March 2007; April 2007; May 2007; June 2007; July 2007; August 2007; September 2007; October 2007; November 2007; December 2007; January 2008; February 2008; March 2008; April 2008; May 2008; June 2008;

JULY 2008

CRDC UPDATE
HB76 that was passed by the 2003 Legislature: 1) Abolished the Certified Communities program, 2) Created the CRDC program, 3) Provided for a Treasure Communities program; and 4) Created the Economic Development Advisory Council (EDAC). CRDC's have been up and running since 2003 but the direction and/or vision for the Treasure Communities program has been a challenge. During a recent EDAC meeting, Quinn Ness, CRDC Program Manager, proposed a break-out session on the Treasure Community Survey to be added to MEDA's Fall Conference agenda in September. EDAC agreed more information and feedback would be helpful; Evan Barrett will facilitate the session.
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MEDA Membership Update: Three new members were added to MEDA in June: Carolyn Jones, MDOC/CDBG; Bonnie Lorang, MITS; John Schneeberger, HIP Business Consulting. MEDA's total membership now stands at 227. Welcome, Carolyn, Bonnie and John! Print the MEDA Membership Directory.     

Grant and Funding Opportunities:

MT Growth Through Agriculture Program: New application forms and supporting materials are now available. Visit the webpage at http://agr.mt.gov/business/GTA.asp or contact Collin Watters, Program Manager at 406.444.2402.

2008 MT TIIP GRANT APS: The 2008 Montana Tourism Infrastructure Investment Program (TIIP) Grant Applications are available. Anticipated grant pool is $300,000 in 2008…up $50,000 from the 2007 program. TIIP Grant Application submission deadline is 5 p.m. Friday, August 1. If you have any questions, contact Travel Montana’s Tourism Development Coordinator Victor Bjornberg at 841-2795, vbjornberg@mt.gov

More from Travel Montana: No-cost & low-cost advertising/marketing opportunities at http://www.travelmontana.mt.gov/ourprograms/TrsmDevelop/NOCOSTMarketing08.pdf; Technical and financial resources at http://www.travelmontana.mt.gov/OURPROGRAMS/tech_fin_assist.asp

Extension Community Resources Program weblink http://extn.msu.montana.edu/CommRes/grantopps.asp    Check out these great community-friendly grant links. Thanks to David Young, Professor, Community Resource Specialist Extension Service & College of Nursing, MSU, for providing this information.

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Working Groups...Are Working!:
Take advantage of the research these groups are doing - learn from what they are learning as chances are you are dealing with the same issues. Visit http://www.medamembers.org/workinggroups.php

Brownfields  

BEAR  

Transportation Working Group  

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Opportunities For You: Interested in sharpening your professional skills as an economic and community development practitioner? Looking for new tools to place in your economic development tool box? Check these out.

Save the Date: MEDA's 2008 Fall Conference is set for September 8th and 9th. Location: Holiday Inn Grand Montana, Billings. MEDA's Agenda Committee is meeting July 10th to set the agenda. This will be a challenge (in a good way) as over 21 requests have been submitted for time on the agenda.

Trade Roots - Expansion through Trade to New Markets: Kalispell, Montana, and United States Chambers of Commerce join in presenting "Business Opportunities for Montana: Expansion through Trade to New Markets". TradeRoots is the only sustained, national trade education program dedicated to raising grassroots support and public awareness about the importance of international trade to local communities. Date: August 13th. Location: Red Lion Hotel, Kalispell. For more information visit http://www.kalispellchamber.com.

IEDC Update: Credit Analysis is coming! MEDA has learned that the October 6 - 8 Credit Analysis course will be an actual NDC course, with NDC trainers. As this training will be top-notch, an all-out marketing effort will be made to reach out to Montana professionals as well as those involved with finance in surrounding states. PPL Montana has once again agreed to sponsor this training to reduce costs. Do mark your calendars now for October 6 - 8, Butte, Montana. Registration will be available by July 5th.

The Games are Back!: What is it that....lasts five days, reminds you of college, combines fun, food, and learning, allows you to interact with colleagues and experts on the local level, gives you the big picture of economic development activities, and creates friendships and partners that could last a lifetime? If you said the Northwest Economic Development Course, then you would be right. Date: August 17 - 22. Register online at http://www.cted.wa.gov/ed/et

The Art of Attracting Investors & Strategic Partners: Sponsored by The Montana Department of Commerce Montana Technology Innovation Partnership Program, Montana BioScience Alliance, Montana NSF EPSCoR Program and The University of Montana Biomedical & Pharmaceutical Departments. Date: July 15 & 16, 2008 Location: Skaggs Building, UofM, Missoula. Cost/Registration: Because this conference is being subsidized by many committed sponsors, this event is Free, however, advanced registration is required. http://mtip.mt.gov/bioscience.asp

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MONTANA Report: Learn what is new in your region with the statewide Montana BEAR Program. Review the progress of the statewide Montana BEAR program by reading the monthly report. An ExecutivePulse Training Webinar is planned for August 1st at 10:00am. For more information, contact MEDA.

According to data entered into the ExecutivePulse software, 29 business visits were conducted around the state in June: Butte/Silver Bow - 12, Cascade County - 3, Flathead County - 1, Park County - 1, Yellowstone County - 4, Stillwater County - 1, Carbon County - 2, Lake County - 1, Ravalli County - 4. Outreach Specialists with more than one interview: Andy Zdinak 12 (Wow!), Kathy Moody 3, Joel Bertolino 2, Kathleen Cannon 2.
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COUNTY BUSINESS PATTERNS 2006
Recently released by the U.S. Census Bureau, the 2006 County Business Patterns is an annual report that contains data covering the more than 7.6 million businesses with paid employees at the national and state levels, and more than 3,100 counties. The report provides data on the number of establishments, number of employees, and quarterly and annual payroll for most of the 1,100 industries according to the North American Industry Classification System.

County Business Patterns excludes self-employed people, employees of private households, railroad employees, agriculture production workers and most government employees. Information on businesses without paid employees will be released this year as part of the Nonemployer Statistics report. Data for metropolitan statistical areas and five-digit ZIP codes also will be released this year.

My Turn: This-n-That from the MEDA Office
I have several items to share with you this month including news about email, "Bacn" and your toothbrush. I read an article in MATR's newsletter about future email challenges. It warned, "Permission-based communication is a whole new thing - exciting and important.....But for companies that have become accustomed to being able to interact with customers using email -- those days are numbered." The author said that he already has clients that will only interact via Twitter or Facebook. The author warned that one-size-fits all days of email is going to be a thing of the past. That, my friends, is very frightening to me. How would I keep track of all of you?

In another article from MATR, I read about "bacn". Bacn is defined as “Impersonal e-mail messages that are nearly as annoying as spam but that you have chosen to receive: alerts, newsletters, automated reminders and the like.” Now...none of you would ever, ever consider your MEDA newsletter "bacn" would you?

Finally, to reward those of you that have read thus far, here is a cool website I came across. I actually use it and it has produced a little bacn (upon my request) but no spam. The website is http://www.dontforgetyourtoothbrush.com and is terrific for getting ready for a trip - whether for business or pleasure. Why, it even allows you to select from a list to pack for your dog. These are indeed the dog days of summer.


2010 and MEDA Fall Conference Update....
The 2010 Coalition recently sent a letter to Governor Schweitzer requesting a meeting to review the importance of key economic development programs and the approaching sunset. The letter has been acknowledged and a meeting is pending. Remember two things: 1. There is a powerpoint available for CRDC's and economic development organizations to use in spreading the word titled Reinvesting in Montana's Economic Future to reflect local projects and success stories. 2. Email me the date, time and location for your presentations and I will get the word out so that program representatives can attend as their schedules allow.

As mentioned above, the MEDA Agenda Committee will meet July 10th to begin setting the agenda for the fall conference, September 8th and 9th in Billings. Once the agenda is set, online registration will be made available. In the meantime, you could reserve your room at the Holiday Inn Grand Montana by dialing 406.248.7701 and ask for the Montana Economic Developers Association room block.

Do you have a Success Story to share? Download the report template and send to MEDA.

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