My heart sank as I read the article in the Wall Street Journal. My alma mater, the Macomb campus of Western Illinois University, was featured as an example of America’s new “rust belt” – once-booming college towns now struggling because of dwindling enrollment rates. In the past 15 years, enrollment has dropped by 47 percent, and the bustling […]
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This week we celebrate Economic Development Week, created by the International Economic Development Council in 2016. This year’s theme, “The Power of Partnerships,” emphasizes the collaborative spirit that fuels innovation, community well-being, and economic transformation across the country – and especially here in Northern Arizona. At the Economic Collaborative of Northern Arizona, partnerships are at the […]
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Heidi Hansen, Economic Vitality Director for the City of Flagstaff, is the Vice Chair of the Executive Board of ECoNA. Originally from Delaware, she moved to Flagstaff when her father, a W.L. Gore & Associates employee, relocated to Arizona. After earning her bachelor’s degree in advertising from Northern Arizona University, she spent more than 20 […]
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Later this month, Winslow Economic Development Director Jack Fitchett and I will attend the annual conference of the Site Selector Guild, the only association of the world’s foremost professional site selection consultants. The influence of site selectors is becoming more critical as companies navigate complex factors from local and state regulations, available talent pools, zoning considerations, […]
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Northern Arizona’s rich, dense forests are among the many reasons why people love to live and work in our region. But the beauty and recreational opportunities of these endless acres of green come with a risk in an area that is known for its dry and often windy conditions – the threat of wildfire. Numerous […]
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