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Quarterly Newsletter | January 2023 |
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Pictured in Photos from Left to Right: Top Left | Outstanding Business Partner of the Year Central Todd County Care Center. R5DC Chair John Benson, Jason Polovick. Top Right | Outstanding Business Partner of the Year Upsala Senior Living. R5DC Chairperson John Benson, Amy Jo Matros, Tim Matros, Deanna Thompson, Tracy LeBlanc, and Rollie Johnson, R5DC Commissioner and Mayor of Upsala. Bottom Left | Exceptional Regional Partner of the Year Minnesota Farmers Union. Julie Anderholm, Small Business Development Center; Stu Lourey and Gary Wertish, Minnesota Farmers Union; Dave Endicott, Central Lakes College; Carol Anderson, Community Development of Morrison County; Mark Johnson, Central Lakes College; John Benson, Region Five Development Commission; Quinn Swanson, Happy Dancing Turtle. Bottom Right | Exceptional Service Provider of the Year Schlenner Wenner & Co. Ashley Meagher, R5DC Chair John Benson, Jon Archer, Riann Harpster, and Zach Scegura.
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Our annual report is here and ready for your review! Catch the highlights of our work in community development, economic development, and transportation initiatives in our region.
A focus on local foods, energy and environment and welcoming communities are featured, along with the work of our non-profit lending arm, NCEDA.
We packed a lot in and are looking forward to continued, successful partnerships in 2023!
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Our friends in the Hackensack Lakes Area offer a wonderful example of providing communication to their community with Lucette's Gazette.
Here you will find news, updates, and happenings for the Hackensack Lakes Area, including a letter from Mayor Bill Kennedy and important city contact info. Kudos to Lucette's co-editors Linda Ottman and Gary Dietrich.
The content and design is useful and provides lots of great information to residents and visitors. Well done!
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We are seeking military veterans and/or their family members who are interested in agriculture and agribusiness to participate in the AgVet Fellowship and Cohort. This group will meet monthly and offers training opportunities.
Workshop are also being conducted to enhance agricultural opportunities for military veterans and their families. Spouses, partners, and dependents of military veterans and active-duty personnel are also encouraged to attend AgVet Workshops..
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Pictured left to right at the Sharing Bread Soup Kitchen: Jason Edens, Cynthia Johnson, Taran Skwira, Erik Espe, Oliver Espe, Dawn Espe, Dennika Mays, and BJ Allen. |
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Dennika Mays is the Indigenous and Local Foods Fellow with R5DC through January 15, 2023. Dennika has been working with various restaurants, as well as in community gardens, food pantries, and the Leech Lake Boys and Girls Club, to further build on our regional local foods value chain that we have been invested in for over 10 years now. (Read more about Dennika's work in our Annual Report.)
As we work to connect with community members through food and culture, Dennika’s final outreach efforts were at the Sharing Bread Soup Kitchen on January 5th in Brainerd. Dennika designed the menu and cooked up tasty food for the Sharing Bread community, with some help from R5DC staff, friends, and family. Thank you to Dennika for your work in the fellowship and to our gracious volunteers for your help!
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R5DC LAUNCHES TRANSPORTATION NEWSLETTER |
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With so much activity going on in the transportation space, we decided it would be helpful to develop a newsletter to share details specific to this topic. Check it out!
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Jan 17: TRUE Tuesdays: Noticing Our Response to Conflict REGISTER
Jan 19: AgVet Workshop | Taxes, Financial Information, Carbon Sequestration 4pm at Central Lakes College Staples Campus - REGISTER
Jan 26: R5DC Commission Meeting | 6pm at Sourcewell
Feb 16: AgVet Workshop | State/Federal Programs | 4pm at Sprout - REGISTER
Feb 23: R5DC Commission Meeting | 6pm at Sourcewell
Mar 16: AgVet Workshop | Cover Crops | 4pm at Island Lake Farm - REGISTER
Mar 23: R5DC Commission Meeting | 6pm at Sourcewell
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Safe Routes to School (SRTS) Grants
Non-Infrastructure opportunities include Planning Assistance grants and Boost Non-Infrastructure (program implementation). Infrastructure Opportunities include State SRTS Funds (no local match required). Solicitation is open. R5DC is available for application assistance. Learn more or reach out to our staff for more information.
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Level 2 Electric Vehicle Charging Station Grants
The MPCA has $664,000 available to install Level 2 EV charging stations in public places, workplaces, and multiunit dwellings. Level 2 charging stations provide 6.6kW to 19.2 kW of power for drivers to charge their electric vehicles. The purpose of the program is to increase the use of electric vehicles in place of gas-powered cars to reduce tailpipe emissions including greenhouse gas emissions in the state. Proposals are due no later than 4:30 p.m. Central Time on February 28, 2023.Learn more or reach out to our staff for more information.
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Cass County
Bob Kangas, County Commissioner
Annie McMurrin, Municipalities
John Benson, Town Boards
Crow Wing County
Rosemary Franzen, County Commissioner
Jon Lubke, Municipalities
Doug Kern, Town Boards
Tiffany Stenglein, City of Brainerd
Morrison County
Greg Blaine, County Commissioner
Rollie Johnson, Municipalities
Chuck Parins, Town Boards
Todd County
Barb Becker, County Commissioner
VACANT, Municipalities
Julie Polak, Town Boards
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Wadena County
Sheldon Monson, County Commissioner
David A. Anderson, Municipalities
Erich Heppner, Town Boards
Public Interest
Dr. Carrie Brimhall, Higher Education
Steve Hall, Camp Ripley
Tameaka Crocker, Emerging Leader
Diane Jacobson, SWCD
VACANT, Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe
Amy Sjoblad, R5 School Board Rep
Andrea Haverinen, R5 School Board Rep
Brian Gapinski, Workforce Development
*Current as of December 31, 2022.
RDC board membership is comprised of elected officials from townships, cities, counties, school boards, and public interest groups per statute 462.388.
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Read the latest news from our 501(c)3 lending organization, North Central Economic Development Association. |
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