News + Announcements

After one of the most successful years in company history, CEDA team members complied the activities and projects they assisted communities with:

2011-12 CEDA Activities

Jennifer grew up in Stockton, MN and is a graduate of Winona Senior High School.  She received bachelors degree in political science and spanish from Saint Mary’s University. Following undergraduate studies, Jennifer attended the Edwin O. Stene Master’s Program in Public Administration at the University of Kansas. During graduate school, she worked first for the City Clerk/human resources department in Shawnee, KS and then completed a full-time internship with the City Manager’s office in Des Moines, IA. After receiving her MPA and spending a year with the City of Des Moines, she and her husband Jon returned to southeast Minnesota to live closer to family.  Jennifer worked in the administration of non-profit Community Action agencies from 2001-2011, first at Western Dairyland Economic Opportunity Council headquartered in Independence, WI and then at Semcac, which has its main office in Rushford, MN.  Jennifer joined CEDA in November 2011 and is one of two CEDA team members providing city administrative services to the City of Lewiston.  Jennifer and her husband have lived in Rushford since 2003, where they are raising their two children. She is also a member of the City of Rushford Planning Commission and the Rushford Community Foundation Board, and in her spare time enjoys volunteering in the community, reading, and running.

Also joining the team is Beth Carlson.  She joined CEDA in January of 2012 and is the other team member providing city administrative services to the City of Lewiston.  Beth is a former employee of Herff Jones, Inc in Lewisotn where she spent nearly 15 years as a seasonal employee in production, customer service, and human resources. She recieved an associate of appliped science degree in supervisory management and another in accounting, as well as bachelors degree in individualized studies where she used her business and accounting knowledge, adding in human diversity issues, and learned to look at the world from a global perspective.

Article by Chris Giesen

The City of Elgin formally welcomed its newest business and latest economic development project at a ribbon cutting ceremony on January 30, 2012.  Dr. Julee Kingsley and her three employees opened Elgin Family Dentistry’s doors in mid 2011, but January’s ribbon cutting was a big celebration for a rural community with big plans.  In attendance at the ceremony was USDA Rural Development state director Colleen Landkamer, a representative from U.S. Senator Klobuchar’s office, a representative from U.S. Congressman Tim Walz’s office, MN DEED representatives, local elected officials, CEDA staff, and many others that made this project possible.

The City of Elgin, with the help of CEDA, secured a $396,000 Community Facility loan from the USDA to purchase the building Dr. Kingsley needed to open her practice.  Having the city purchase the building and having Dr. Kingsley as a tenant was the key to making this project affordable so it could get off the ground.  “We started looking at this project in early 2010,” said CEDA President/CEO Ron Zeigler, who also led the CEDA team for this project.  “This was quite a unique project that involved not only many of our team members, but the Elgin EDA and city council, financial advisors, DEED, USDA, People’s Energy Cooperative, and even Congressman Walz himself.  Without all of these people working together for Elgin, this project wouldn’t have happened.” he continued.  “A special thanks to Mayor Rich Hall and city clerk Sue Cain who tirelessly championed for Dr. Kingsley’s project from the beginning; there were many scenarios to discuss and hurdles to overcome but with their leadership Dr. Kingsley was able to move forward.”

Article by Cris Gastner

City and EDA see infrastructure completed in new business park and assist with completion of infrastructure in existing industrial park.

The City of St. Charles has seen the completion of two major infrastructure projects that provides several options for business looking to expand or relocate to the community.  With the completion of the water booster station this spring, the infrastructure in the new Chattanooga Innovation Park is now complete.  The new park encompasses around thirty acres of developable land in the first phase. City and EDA staff has been contacted by several prospective businesses about the park spanning several industries from retail and hospitality to manufacturing and light industry and are “cautiously optimistic” about seeing some construction in the park this summer.

The City and EDA also assisted in an infrastructure project in its existing Whitewater Industrial Park that will allow an existing business in the park explore a major expansion project as well as make available two really attractive industrial lots for future development.  With the entire infrastructure now in place in phase one of the park, these to lots become extremely marketable to prospective new businesses as well as existing businesses looking to expand.

With these two infrastructure projects now complete, the City of St. Charles is most definitely “Ready for Business”.

Article by Erin Sparks

At the 2010 Goodhue County Economic Development Summit there was a tremendous amount of discussion on continuing to develop and enhance connections between our leisure and hospitality businesses throughout the County.  In order to further this discussion and increase opportunity for cooperation within this industry sector, the Goodhue County Economic Development Authority conducted a business retention and expansion (BR&E) survey of the County’s leisure and hospitality businesses.  A BR&E survey is designed to “take the pulse” of a sector of business, as well as, identify any red-flag issues affecting the retention or expansion of the businesses within that sector.  The results of the survey, as reported at the 2011 Goodhue County Economic Development Summit, identified the difficulties facing Goodhue County’s leisure and hospitality businesses, and outlined a strategy to promote stability and growth in that sector now and into the future.

A major part of the strategy identified the need to create a county-wide marketing plan to promote the County’s key tourist attractions and the area as a whole. So in 2011 the Goodhue County EDA enlisted the help of Community and Economic Development Associates (CEDA) to create the Goodhue County Tourism Marketing Strategy. The plan, which focuses on three key elements – collaboration, education and promotion, was sent out to city and county leaders in 2011 for review and discussion.