REGIONAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT SUMMIT … Plans are being set for the biggest economic development event in regional history, the Regional Economic Development Summit.  The date is Friday, 27 April, 2007, on the campus of Missouri Southern State University.  The invited Keynote speaker for the event is ERIK PETERSON, Senior Vice President of the Center for Strategic and International Studies, Washington, DC.  The invited luncheon speaker is the Honorable KATHLEEN SEBELIUS, Governor of Kansas.  The evening ends with a dinner presentation by invited guest, the Honorable MATT BLUNT, Governor of Missouri.  More information will be made available as plans are set.  To date, several organizations are participating in the training sessions at the Summit:  the Missouri Arts Council, the International Trade Center, the Institute of Ecolonomics, the Southwest Missouri Economic Development Alliance, and the Tri-State Water Resources Coalition.
 

PROGRESS ON THE BARRY COUNTY PLAN … Residents of Barry County are forming into groups to plan the County’s future.  Barry County’s efforts are part of the Missouri-Arkansas Partnership project, aided by the Center.  Committees dealing with education, transportation, infrastructure, law enforcement, and tourism are sorting out materials provided by the Center and in small group discussions. 

LOCAL OFFICIALS’ TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES … The Center is putting the final details on affordable, top-quality training opportunities for local officials.  In late September, Planning Commissioner training, featuring Joplin City Planner DICK LARGENT, will kick off the line-up of educational sessions.  Close behind that will be a session for Board of Adjustment members, then code enforcement and nuisance abatement training.  Once set, brochures and registration forms will be sent to every city in the four-state region.
 

JUDGE TO AFFILIATE WITH CENTER … Retiring Jasper County Circuit Court Judge JON DERMOTT will be affiliating with the Center in January 2007.  Judge Dermott will head up the Center’s Continuing Legal Education program.
 

MS. PRICE GOES FULL TIME … MSSU President JULIO LEON has given his approval for the Center’s own MICHELLE PRICE to take on full-time secretarial status.  The news was a great relief to the Center staff that has come to rely on Ms. Price’s professionalism.  During the summer, Ms. Price is available Monday through Thursday, 7 am until 5 pm, at 417-625-3016 or Price-M@mssu.edu.  With the beginning of the fall semester, Ms. Price will work the normal 8-5, Monday through Friday schedule.
 

JOPLIN CHARTER COMMISSION … Center Director, Dr. Tom Simpson, is acting as an ex officio member of the Joplin Charter Commission.  In recent decisions by the group, the Commission decided not to make any substantive changes to Joplin’s council-manager form of government.  The Commission intends to conclude their work by the end of August.

 

             Celebrate your independence July 4th!

 
CANDIDATE SCHOOL … Center interns FRANK NEELY and JACKI HARRIS are heavily engaged in the planning of Missouri’s first ever Candidate School.  The course of study will enlighten potential office holders of the ethical and legal requirements of their office.  In 2007 the Candidate School will focus on municipal elections with 2008 focusing on state legislative offices.  As details are firmed, more information on Candidate School will be distributed to News readers.
 

WATER RESOURCES COALITION HITS AIRWAVES … Client organization, the Tri-State Water Resources Coalition, is considering producing public service announcements for radio and television broadcast in a plan facilitated by the Center. The psa’s are intended to educate the public of critical water issues in the region.  MSTV, Missouri Southern’s television station, will produce the announcements, advising viewers of the need to conserve water.  The spots will be produced under the direction of JUDY STILES.
 

249 CORRIDOR WORK … Center intern GERARD GOGGINS is spending his summer identifying all the property owners along the 249 Corridor.  Mr. Goggins work will used by the Environmental Task Force in their work to plan development along the newly opened transportation avenue in the Joplin metro area.
 

GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR CENTER INTERN … Summer Center intern, NICK EDWARDS, was invited to participate in the Kansas Geological Tour, a rare privilege for a student.  The Tour invites Kansas leading academic, industrial, commercial, and government figures to see first-hand the geological assets and liabilities of the state.  In addition to touring geological points of interest, Nick is also reworking REDC’s website.  He has done some terrific work and you are invited to visit the site at www.mssu.edu/redc. 

REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT JOURNAL … The first edition of the semi-annual Regional Development Journal will be in the mail in October.  Featured in the inaugural issue is a paper on Regional Stewardship by Center Director, Dr. Tom Simpson; an insightful piece by DR. JOHN LEWIS, Director the MSSU International Trade Center; and, an enlightening paper on ecolonomics prepared by Institute of Ecolonomics Director, ROB WOOD.
 

JOPLIN DRY PORT INITIATIVE … A good friend of the Center, JOHN PENALOSA, suggested discussions among area economic development promoters of a dry port for Joplin.  Center Director, Dr. Tom Simpson, participated in the conversation, held at the Joplin Chamber of Commerce.  The Center agreed to provide the group with information on designation of Joplin as a foreign trade zone and on levels of global trade carried on in the region.  Future meetings are anticipated on this intriguing topic.
 

CROSS-BORDER DISCUSSION … Center Director, Dr. Tom Simpson, participated in discussions with Kansas and Missouri economic developers on ways cooperative activity can be achieved.  Empire District’s MARSHA WALLACE sponsored the discussion.  The Center was asked to provide research material on bi-state agreements.  The group was so impressed with this first round of discussions that it will expand to include officials from Oklahoma.
 

POPULATION CHANGES SURPRISE CENTER RESEARCHER … Center summer intern, LES RIDER, in responding to a request for information from Webb City Administrator, CHANCE MORGAN, discovered that the largest portion of population growth in Jasper County came from in-migration of retiring seniors and returning residents and the county’s natural growth rate.  The surprise was that Hispanic immigration was not a major reason for population increases in Jasper County.  The Center responds to requests for demographic and economic data.  If you have a question that might aid in shaping public policy, give the Center a call at 417-625-3016.