Don't miss your chance to help guide North Idaho's future
Mysty Rusk and the Coeur d’Alene Area Economic Development Corporation have big plans for North Idaho’s future, and they want all of us to be part of it. Let’s not let them down.
Rusk, who recently came on as executive director of the CDEDC, is asking for ideas, suggestions and input on economic development in the region. At its recent annual meeting. The organization launched the “Shape What’s Next” campaign. It is “shaping what’s next for our regional economy, and the best intelligence comes from the people living, growing and living it.”
It’s wonderful Rusk and team have such confidence in locals that they unveiled the initiative at their annual meeting. We agree there are many intelligent, ambitious residents who have something to offer. We need them to share it. Perhaps this nudge from the CDAEDC is just what they need.
“Keep thinking. Keep sharing,” according to a CDAEDC mailer
If you’re not quite sure what it is they want, here are two question it is asking:
“Imagine it’s 10 years from now and we got it right. What’s one or two things that made this region meaningfully better and more economically viable?”
Why does it matter to you?
Now, it’s not surprising when someone turns to the public for input. The question is, will they listen? We believe CDAEDC will do exactly that, which puts the ball in our court.
Rusk has a background of success being an entrepreneur. She knows how things work in this world. She is the right person in the right place at the right time.
The importance of this latest undertaking can’t be overstated. North Idaho is a region that has become a major tourist destination, and we expect that to continue. But as Rusk stated so well, CDAEDC is about retention, expansion, attraction and startups. We know the people wlil come. Will the businesses and the jobs follow? We need industries that will bring growth, stability and jobs that pay well. A welcoming work environment and sound economic plan may get them here.
But as Rusk herself said, a two-person office can’t do it alone.
That’s where you come in.
The future of North Idaho should not be shaped by a handful of elected officials, business leaders or economic experts alone. It should be shaped by the people who live here, work here, raise families here and have a stake in what comes next.
That's why the CDAEDC's "Shape What's Next" campaign matters. If we want better-paying jobs, stronger local businesses, attainable housing and opportunities that keep our children and grandchildren here, then we have a responsibility to speak up. The future belongs to those who help build it.
The community often complains when growth happens the wrong way. Here's a chance to help guide growth before those decisions are made. Rather than reacting to change after the fact, residents can help influence it from the beginning. The question isn't whether change is coming. It is. The question is whether residents will have a hand in shaping it.
We encourage every resident to take a few minutes and participate. Share an idea. Offer a solution. Challenge an assumption. Tell leaders what kind of economy you want your children and grandchildren to inherit. Opportunities to influence the future of an entire region don't come along often. This is one of them. Let's not waste it.
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