Eco-Devo

The world of economic development is complex and because of that most people have their own ideas about economic development.  When I began serving on the board, I thought it was our job to attract new business to our community that could provide stability and growth for years to come. I quickly learned it is so much more than that. When preparing to write this article, I asked several local people what they wanted to know about Economic Development. Of course, I received a variety of responses, but the biggest questions overall were “What is Economic Development?”, and “What do they do?” I certainly do not have all the answers, but I am happy to share some of what I have learned.

The International Economic Development Council defines economic development as, “Programs, policies and activities that seek to improve the economic well-being and quality of life for a community by creating and retaining jobs and providing a stable tax base.” In conversations with an outside consultant, the city council, county commissioners and other local groups defined economic development for Grant County as, “Retention of local businesses, growing jobs and population, attracting new businesses, encouraging and assisting local entrepreneurs, and promoting the community as a good place to work, live and do business.” Both definitions are lengthy and accurate but what does that really look like? It looks like recruiting new business both big and small, protecting and supporting our existing businesses, and attracting more people to our community. Making our community a great place to work and live means we need to always have available housing and jobs, options for fun activities and events for all age groups, great parks, walking & bicycle paths, new & improved sidewalks. All these items improve the quality of life and are important considerations when businesses and families are looking to relocate. As you can imagine, these are not easy things to prioritize or accomplish.

The success of any community is creating a vision for the future and working together to make it possible. Ultimately, everybody has a role in securing the future of our community. The economic development board in collaboration with the City Council, the County Commissioners and other community partners will listen to what our residents want and then do what we can to make it happen. I believe Ulysses has a promising future and we are ready to move ahead and do great things. I am excited to see this all come together.

Kristy Frazee

Vice President

Grant County Economic Development Corporation