Dane County leaders join forces in regional economic development initiative

Leaders from throughout Dane County gathered Tuesday to discuss the need for a collaborative, regional approach to economic development for the area.

The group, known as the Collaboration Council, is comprised of a cross-section of business, government, non-profit and education leaders. The goal of this collaborative is to grow Dane County’s economy in ways that preserve and advance the quality of life.”This is a different approach to economic development,” says Gary Wolter, President & CEO of MG&E and co-chair of the Collaboration Council. “It is looking at it from a regional perspective and asking, ‘What are the key assets we have and what are the common values shared by every community within Dane County?’ Once you have answered those questions, you can implement an economic development strategy that caters not only to economic growth, but also to the quality of life of every community in the region.”

The Collaboration Council first met in August 2004 to address Dane County’s tremendous growth and the effect it is having on the quality of life. Implementation teams were formed to focus on five distinct yet inter-dependent issues: Business Retention and Recruitment, Workforce Development, Intergovernmental Cooperation and Positioning Greater Madison. The Quality of Life Team, chaired by Meriter Health Services President and CEO Terri Potter, has been asked to identify the assets, values and opportunities specific to Dane County through extensive research.

“For years it has been proclaimed that Dane County has a great quality of life, but it is typically through anecdotal evidence,” said Potter. “With the help of recognized experts in many fields, we are able to identify our factual, regional assets. We also gathered well-documented information on the core values of different Dane County communities. With these two inputs, we are able to identify the economic imperatives, role and opportunities that will allow for economic growth that also preserves and advances the quality of life.”

The Collaboration Council touts an inclusive, regional agenda and backs that claim with business, government, non-profit and education leaders from a wide range of Dane County communities already on board. They include Christiana, Cottage Grove, DeForest, Fitchburg, Madison, McFarland, Middleton, Oregon, Stoughton and Verona.

“The issue at hand is much bigger than politics,” says County Executive Kathleen Falk. “This is about Dane County’s future, about pursuing sound economic development by protecting our quality of life. As we work collaboratively, we will see results that benefit all citizens. The formation and findings of this diverse group is a tremendous starting point.”

The Collaboration Council will be taking its findings and message to the many communities within Dane County with the help of a variety of leaders. For example, Verona Area Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Dave Phillips is hosting an information session for his members and elected officials. The Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce and Greater Madison Convention and Visitors Bureau are involved in providing logistical support for the effort.

And the banking community is involved with leaders such as Tom Spitz, President and CEO of DMB Community Bank in DeForest; Londa Dewey, Market President of US Bank in Madison; and David Locke, President and CEO of McFarland State Bank. The group is encouraging other businesses, chambers of commerce and elected officials to participate.

“The Collaboration Council is essentially using the Healthy City economic development model Madison developed a year ago and applying it regionally,” Madison Mayor Dave Cieslewicz said. “It makes a lot of sense. There is a growing recognition that Madison and its surrounding region complement and strengthen one another.”

“There have been plenty of these types of efforts in the past,” explained Fitchburg Mayor Tom Clauder. “Typically, they lose steam and fail because they start out in a vertical direction that is narrowly focused on one sector or one community. We are at the table because this is regional in nature and what’s good for Dane County is good for Fitchburg.”

Cottage Grove businessman and Village President Ken Dahl says coming together as a region is imperative. “Urban or rural, city, suburb, town or village; it doesn’t matter. What does matter is recognizing that every community in Dane County plays a unique role. As we work together, we pool our individual contributions and leverage our strength as an entire region.”

And University of Wisconsin–Madison Chancellor John Wiley looks at it from a global view. “With globalization changing the way education, workforce and economic development is pursued, it can no longer be ‘Madison vs. Verona vs. Sun Prairie.’ For the university and all of south central Wisconsin, it must now be ‘Greater Madison vs. Research Triangle vs. Singapore.'”

The effort is being supported by contributions, monetary and in-kind, from just as diverse a group, including philanthropist John Taylor and companies such as Alliant Energy, First Business Bank, McFarland State Bank, Monona State Bank, Park Bank, Lindsay, Stone & Briggs, Plantes Company, State Bank of Cross Plains, The Edgewater Hotel and Vandewalle & Associates.

The Collaboration Council will meet again in June to receive the deliverables of the five Implementation Teams. They will provide detailed implementation plans that factor in the findings of the Quality of Life Team and aim at producing specific outcomes.

Business Retention and Recruitment, for example, looks to see a proactive, regional effort to retain Dane County’s expanding businesses and to attract businesses and entrepreneurs that will strengthen existing and emerging economic sectors.

Workforce Development will work to ensure that the county produces, retains and attracts graduates and has the workforce that will allow companies to succeed in the region.

Intergovernmental Cooperation aims to have municipalities working more cooperatively toward the betterment of the regional economy and quality of life.

And Positioning Greater Madison will provide a common message – used inside and outside the region – to differentiate the community in ways that attract and excite.

The Collaboration Council will decide how to administer the implementation plans based on feedback from across the region. All plans will be focused on how the community can “grow Dane County’s economy in ways that advance the quality of life.” This vision will remain at the core of the decision-making process.

• Rafael Carbonell, (608) 443-1955, rcarbonell@greatermadisonchamber.com