Grow North Regional Economic Development Corporation is hosting its 1st annual Legislative Update in Three Lakes Monday morning.(May 22)
Grow North focuses on creating economic development opportunities in Oneida, Vilas, Forest, Lincoln, Langlade and three other counties.
President Collette Sorgel says because they have four key initiatives they're working on, they decided to invite Northwoods legislators to the meeting to share what is happening with those issues in Madison.
She says the first topic is broadband expansion..
"....we're looking to have broadband and high speed internet to as many homes and businesses as we can within our 8 county serving area. The second initiative is to help promote our forestry products and our forestry industry. We want to make sure forestry is promoted to not only sell the products, but to have a workforce...."
Other topic issues are entrepreneurship, and helping people get into business or expand their businesses. The final topic is workforce development, including working with students and their future jobs
. Sorgel says they would love to have Fab Labs in all the schools in their region. She says they hope to get the legislators fully involved...
"....we need to make sure they understand what we are looking for, with the other intiatives to make sure they can help with getting the wood products going. It's more of a give-and-take. We've discussed it with them and we'd like to hear back from them that they are going to work on things that will make a difference here in the Northwoods...."
The meeting is from 10:00 a.m. to noon Monday, May 22 at the Three Lakes Center for the Arts in downtown Three Lakes.
