Newsletter 
February 2021
Upcoming Meetings
Alliance Board Meeting
Thursday, March 18
7:00 a.m.
Via Zoom Meeting
Alliance Annual Meeting Held
Alliance Investors participated in a virtual Annual Meeting on February 18 with nearly 40 attendees. The group heard reports from the Executive Director and each of the five task force groups. If you missed the meeting, a recording of the update is available here.
2020 DAEDA Annual Report Available

The Alliance Annual Report is now available on our website. The report contains a summary of our 2020 activity, detailing the organization’s work and the five task force groups. Thank you to all of our volunteers for your collective efforts in a very challenging year. 
Clickner Retires and Lucas Welcomed at LSCP
Sarah Lucas
Amy Clickner
Our partners at the Lake Superior Community Partnership have announced a leadership transition that will take place over the next few weeks. Last year, Amy Clickner, long-time CEO of the Lake Superior Community Partnership, announced her retirement in March. The LSCP has selected Sarah Lucas to step into the role of CEO starting February 22.

Lucas was selected to lead the LSCP after an extensive nationwide search. She brings a wealth of experience, having worked in economic development, small and rural community development, and housing over the past 20 years.  Most recently, Lucas led the formation of Housing North, a regional organization devoted to addressing housing needs. Previously, Lucas served as the Community Development Director for Networks Northwest, a 10-county regional planning agency in Northwest Lower Michigan, leading various cross-sector economic development initiatives.

Clickner has led the LSCP from its inception nearly 25 years ago and was instrumental in reorganizing the Alliance here in Dickinson County. We thank Amy for helping us establish and grow our economic development program.

Best wishes to Amy for a rewarding retirement!

Welcome Sarah! We look forward to working with you.
Seven Things to Feel Good About in 2020
Our latest submission to ruralinsights.org was published on February 10 and features positive news and developments from the area that occurred in 2020. Check out the article here.
Career and Technical Education Month
Career and Technical Education Month®, is a public awareness campaign that takes place each February to celebrate the value of CTE and the achievements and accomplishments of CTE programs across the country. The Alliance is celebrating by sharing CTE focused messages on our social media accounts. 

We especially thank our local CTE partners – area K-12 school districts, the Dickinson-Iron ISD and Bay College West for their efforts in providing outstanding CTE educational opportunities for our area students!
BTS Superintendent Survey - Community Input Requested

The Breitung Township Schools School Board is beginning its search for a new superintendent. Current BTS superintendent Craig Allen is retiring in June. The Board is requesting community input regarding qualities, skills, and experiences that people would like to see in the next superintendent. To complete the survey, click here.
Webinar: SBA Program Updates

A free webinar is being offered by the U.S. Small Business Administration Michigan District Office in partnership with the U.S. Senator Gary Peters’ Office on February 25. The session will cover PPP updates and loan forgiveness, Economic Injury Disaster Loans, SBA Debt Relief, and new services from several funded resource partners to help you survive and recover from the pandemic.

Upper Peninsula and Northern Michigan Regions
Thursday, February 25
10:00 a.m. CT/11:00 a.m. ET
Click here to participate
Training Opportunity
Bay College West Campus and Northern Initiatives Michigan Manufacturing Technology Center are promoting an upcoming online training titled "Get More Done".
Get More Done
Tuesday, March 23
12:00 pm – 3:00 pm CT
$195 per person
Register here

At the end of this training, participants will be able to:
  • Identify limitations of their current task management system
  • Apply five stages of mastering workflow
  • Identify the steps and tools needed for getting started
  • Identify technology options that support your workflow
  • Define goals and next steps in your improvement journey
Succession Planning Webinar April 8
The next Michigan Small Business Development Center webinar will focus on succession planning and preparing your business for a leadership transition or sale. All are welcome to register for this free event, hosted by the DAEDA and the Dickinson Area Chamber of Commerce.
Dickinson Area Economic Development Alliance | 906-360-4653 | info@daeda.org | www.daeda.org