CEDA
Community Economic Development Associates
Madelia is a city in Watonwan County and sits along the Watonwan River.
Nestled away in a small county of Minnesota is the community of Madelia. Madelia is a community with a long and rich history, founded in 1857 by Philander Hartshorn.
Named for the rapids on the Pelican River.
U.S. Highway 59 and Minnesota State Highway 108 are two of the main routes in the city.
The Hill City is along the shores of Hill Lake and U.S. Highway 169 and State Highway 200.
Lisa joined the CEDA team in February 2023, bringing with her 30+ years of diverse experience that includes nonprofit, grant writing, volunteer coordination, program development, township government, small business development and ownership, sales, recruitment, training, professional speaking, and nonpartisan legislative experience. Having lived in Itasca County all but just a handful of her years, she’s passionate about developing vibrant rural communities in and near her hometown. Being the wife and family member of several combat-era Veterans, she’s well versed in Veteran related issues. Colleagues have described Lisa as, “trustworthy, engaging and a pleasure to work with.”
Lisa is a Gallup-certified Clifton StrengthsFinder Facilitator and is an alumni of the Blandin Foundation Community Leadership Program and the Northwest Minnesota Foundation LeaderImpact Program. Lisa holds an Associate of Applied Science degree in Office Management from Alexandria Technical College where she was the recipient of the "Outstanding Student” award as selected by faculty.
Lisa lives with her husband Mike near Grand Rapids, MN in the home built by Mike’s great-grandparents on the Mississippi River, just down the road from her childhood home. She enjoys time with family, outdoor activities, motorcycling, boating, watching sports, traveling, outdoor photography and concerts.
Le Sueur is a city between Mankato and the Twin Cities. It lies along the Minnesota River.
Murdock is a rural town in Swift County.
Joe joined the CEDA team in October 2022 as a Community and Business Development Specialist for the cities of Benson, Dawson, and Murdock. He holds a Masters of Public Administration Degree from the University of South Dakota and a Bachelor of Arts from Morningside University. Prior to joining CEDA, he worked as the Organizational Evaluator for an intergovernmental collaborative serving Kandiyohi, McLeod, Meeker, Renville, and Yellow Medicine Counties in Minnesota. Before coming to Minnesota, he served Western Iowa’s largest substance use treatment provider and with the Homeland Security Institute as an Associate Analyst. He brings experience from the federal, state, and county levels of government along with a passion for listening to different perspectives and building partnerships. Joe hails from Sergeant Bluff, IA. He looks forward to serving his communities and being part of CEDA.