Ova attends developer assembly

Connie Ova, Jamestown/Stutsman Development Corp. CEO, joined numerous economic development partners on Nov. 29 at the Rural Developers’ Assembly sponsored by the Rural Electric & Telecommunications Development Center in Mandan, N.D. This semi-annual event is intended to provide a means for people involved in rural development to connect with one another and to stay informed of new programs and methods to bring businesses and services to rural area.

The assembly featured child care cooperatives as a possible model to help fill some service provider gaps the state is experiencing. Kim Coontz, executive director of the California Center for Cooperative Development, has been working with cooperative enterprises for more than 23 years. She has a national reputation for her expertise in child care and preschool cooperatives. In 2011, Parent Cooperatives International gave her its Cooperative Leadership Award. Coontz is author of “Bringing Families Together: A Guide to Parent Cooperatives,” a book on child care cooperatives.

Also on the agenda, were Paul Lucy, director, economic development and finance, North Dakota Commerce, and Jasper Schneider, North Dakota state director for the U.S. Department of Agriculture, who provided updates on current activities and resources within their respective organizations.

In addition, the Rural Economic Area Partnership Investor Board has recently developed an interactive website for economic and community leaders across North Dakota — the “Developer Station.” A brief tour of that site was provided.

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