About Us

What is MEDA?

The Montana Economic Developers Association (MEDA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization created to connect people and organizations who collaborate to grow the economy in the state of Montana. We represent economic developers and the small businesses, industries, lenders, and other partners with whom they work to make things happen in our state.

Our Mission

Strengthen Montana’s community and economic development through education, advocacy, and collaboration

History

MEDA in its current form as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization was incorporated on September 24, 1993, but the groundwork had been laid all the way back in 1988, when the first Montana Economic Development Professional Network was formed. As this network grew in size, so did the conversations about how best to collaborate on a statewide basis. As a result, the network was renamed to the Montana Economic Development Coalition in 1991, to the Professional Economic Developers Association of Montana in 1992, and finally to the Montana Economic Developers Association in 1993, which it has remained to this day.

Development Corporations

Every state has them, and a critical part of MEDA is being a venue where the development organizations of the Treasure State can convene to share best practices and keep up to date on each other’s success!

Economic Development 101

Were you just hired by an economic development office in Montana? Are you looking for a career in economic development in Montana? Are you a Montana business owner trying to figure out what on earth “economic development” is in the first place? Let us show you around!

In general, when we say “economic development”, we are talking about supporting projects that make a positive impact on commerce, value of goods, and quality of life for a given community. What projects are those? It all depends on the community.

For many communities in Montana, that means coaching businesses through startup or expansion planning; writing grants and letters of support for infrastructure projects; funding assessments and cleanups for contaminated properties; hosting workshops and events to teach skills and connect; attracting new businesses and new workers; and so much more! We’ve included some further reading to help understand the key concepts that come with this term and with the work that we do. In particular, we recommend the libraries maintained by the National Association of Development Organizations (NADO) and the International Economic Development Council (IEDC).

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