In this issue . . .
DECEMBER 2018
Member News Calendar of Events New Members Ribbon cuttings
An update on the Discovery Phase of strategic plan By David Eckmann, President/CEO he end of a calendar year brings an opportunity to both reflect and to look forward to new opportunities. Perhaps one of the Wausau Region Chamber of Commerce’s larger undertakings in the last decade is to gather business and governmental support to create an economic development strategic plan for the region. Consensus to develop a plan was built on strong agreement that our region, to effectively compete for talent and support innovative organic growth, requires a collective vision and a plan that will help us to create the place where people and businesses want to locate.
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Now, three months into the economic development planning process, I can share an update on our progress. Since early September, TIP Strategies, an economic development planning firm out of Austin, TX, has visited our region three times. Over the course of their visits, they have met with a variety of stakeholder groups which include municipalities in the county, K-16 education leaders, business leaders (manufacturing, health care, finance, insurance, education), the Central Wisconsin Metal Manufacturing Alliance, a wide variety of young professionals, workforce development and human resources professionals, outdoor recreation organizations, the Central Wisconsin Visitors Bureau, not-forprofit organizations, commercial and residential real estate professionals, Hmong community leaders, as well as profes-
sionals in the agricultura and ginseng industries. In addition to these meetings and focus groups, a community-wide survey was offered to the general public, resulting in more than 350 survey responses. Invitations for engagement and participation have been received well by our community, and for that we are extremely grateful. At the conclusion of TIP’s recent visit, they closed the Discovery Phase of the planning process and began the Opportunity Phase. Where the first phase is intended to identify our regional Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats, the next stage begins to identify themes that our community must consider as we develop a plan of action. Talent, community amenities and creative industry are three key themes that emerged from the Discovery Phase. It should be no surprise that talent development, retention, and attraction is a priority given our current labor crisis and the projected decline in the working-age population. Closely related to the need to attract and retain talent is the importance of both supporting existing and building community amenities to attract people to the region. A strong K-16 education system and downtown vibrancy will also be an important part of our future success. Finally, we must develop and support a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship to foster the growth of creative industries. For more information on the latest TIP Strategies presentation and to track progress in planning, please visit WausauChamber.com.
www.wausauchamber.com