From the Greater St Cloud Development Corporation…

Enhancing Our Regional Broadband

Join the Initiative Foundation on Thursday, Sept. 23, for a Region 7W broadband conference at the St. Cloud State University Welcome Center. There is also an option to attend virtually.

As counties and statewide Regional Development Commissions (RDCs) consider how to use American Recovery Act funds for broadband investments, now is a good time to ask:

• Who is being served?

• Who is being left behind?

• What are our opportunities to collaborate or stretch dollars?

• How will we maximize these investments to spur equitable economic recovery?

• What action steps are needed at the local level to support successful implementation?

Feedback gathered during the conference will be compiled with other RDC findings and rolled up to the Blandin Foundation for presentation at its Oct. 12-14 annual broadband conference.

“We don’t want to get together and simply admire the problem,” said Don Hickman, vice president for community and workforce development at the Initiative Foundation. “We want to identify the challenges, look for opportunities to work together and take action.”