Viewpoint

Aliceann Wohlbruck, Executive Director, NADO Research Foundation

Entrepreneurship flourishes in both the public and private sectors. The importance of an entrepreneurial approach by public sector regional development organizations, particularly in small metropolitan and rural areas, cannot be understated. When needs are identified by local policymakers, the executive director and staff of regional organizations are the first people asked for assistance and ideas. As the examples show, there are many ways to fund and assist local governments and businesses despite limited resources.

From organizing multi-million dollar solid waste management agencies to encouraging the use of cultural amenities that help sustain local economies, regional development organizations provide vital professional capacity. A recent National Association of Counties survey found that less than one-third of the nation’s rural counties have their own staff to prepare grant applications so they can take advantage of existing programs or know about new initiatives. In many instances, it is the regional development organization that provides these services.

An already turbulent economy has been further tested by the fallout from the atrocities of September 11. As described in an October 9 New York Times front page, Pendleton, Oregon is “as close to nowhere as it is far from somewhere.” The local airport has a $28 million per year impact on the town of 17,000. As a direct result of September 11, they have lost two flights a day, resulting in 500 fewer travelers a month. If this continues, Pendleton will fall below the 10,000 minimum passenger requirement for $1 million in federal aid. They wonder how the airport will survive, and if it does not, what it will mean for the region’s economy. Rural communities will all be affected by the chilling events of September 11; regional development organizations will very likely be called upon to help them weather the storm. Entrepreneurial approaches to regional economic development will become standard practice.l

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