Adams County, IL – Great River Economic Development Foundation (GREDF) kicks off 2017 with their Annual Meeting on Wednesday, January 11 at the Oakley Lindsay Center (OLC), 300 Civic Center Plaza in Quincy, IL. 5pm networking and cash bar will be in the OLC lobby, with the meeting and program at 5:45pm in the Quincy Community Theater.

The meeting will highlight 2016 accomplishments, what to look forward to in 2017 and acknowledge economic development successes due to the Power of Partnership.

“Partnership in its simplest form is defined as a relationship involving close cooperation between parties to achieve a common goal,” states Marcel W. Wagner Jr. CEcD, President

of GREDF. “Partnerships in Quincy and Adams County are a powerful part of the historical fabric that has made our community successful and will be at the core of the Great River Economic Development Foundation in 2017 and beyond.”

Joining GREDF and speaking at the meeting will be City of Quincy Mayor, Kyle Moore and Adams County Board Chairman, Les Post, providing City and County updates respectively.

The presentation will also address critical workforce development efforts. “When you have employers with a vested interest in education; educational institutions who listen and produce the curriculum to prepare students for current and future needs of employers; and human service agencies with a passion for guiding people to entities who prepare them to earn head of household incomes, you can see the power of partnership at work,” states Angela Caldwell, Director, Workforce Development & Administrator, Inspire Works. “Partnering employers and educators equips students and job seekers to fill up our workforce talent pipeline. A pipeline needed to sustain and grow, current and future business and create a dynamic local and regional economic outlook.”

All are welcome to attend this celebration of Quincy & Adams County and learn about plans to maintain and grow the economic vitality of the region.

For more information, contact Joi Cuartero Austin at GREDF (217) 223-4313.

Great River Economic Development Foundation is a 501(c)6 not-for-profit organization with a mission to maintain and GROW the economic vitality of the Quincy and Adams County, IL region through the retention and expansion of existing businesses and the attraction of new businesses to our entire region.

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Adams County, IL – Great River Economic Development Foundation (GREDF) had the privilege of being invited to present to Governor Bruce Rauner’s Rural Affairs Council, on Thursday, December 1^st during the council’s quarterly meeting. The Rural Affairs Council is chaired by Lieutenant Governor Evelyn Sanguinetti and comprised of senior representatives from multiple Illinois agencies.

Joi Cuartero Austin, marketing & communications for GREDF gave a 10-minute presentation during the meeting and was joined by Ryan McCrady, president of Economic Development Corporation of Decatur & Macon County, as well as Jonathon D. Hallberg executive director of Jefferson County Development Corporation.

The three spoke on a regional economic development panel answering questions for the council from various Illinois agencies including, Department of Agriculture, Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, Department of Employment Security, Finance Authority, State Board of Education, Department of Transportation and others.

The group covered topics from workforce development strategies, including working in tandem with our educational institutions and attracting/retaining millennials by investing in quality of life features, to regional development successes and challenges and the need for additional state investment incentives. Additionally, the panel was asked about suggestions for reform including workers compensation.

The Governor’s Rural Affairs Council (GRAC) was founded in 1986 by executive order to serve as a link between state and local agencies to improve the delivery of State of Illinois services, to support innovative rural development initiatives, and recommend programs and policies to help improve the quality of rural life in Illinois.

For more information, contact Joi Cuartero Austin at GREDF (217) 223-4313.

Great River Economic Development Foundation is a 501(c)6 not-for-profit organization with a mission to maintain and improve the economic vitality of Quincy and Adams County, IL through the retention and expansion of existing businesses and the attraction of new businesses to our communities.

Adams County, IL – Guests at the Tri-State Development Summit will have an opportunity to see autopilot technology in action, to coincide with the morning session of Technology in Transportation. Demonstration rides, showcasing the autopilot feature in a 2015 Tesla, will be made available, with a reservation, immediately following the Summit on Friday, November 18 at Iowa Wesleyan University.

“In addition to an exciting transportation update come to the Summit and get a peek at the future of highway travel in our region,” states Chuck Scholz, member of the Tri-State Summit steering committee. “Driverless vehicles are not only coming, they are here, and you can experience it!”

New speakers have also been added, including Michael Gould, manager of business development for the Iowa Economic Development Authority. Gould will provide an Iowa state update. Joining him with an Illinois economic development update will be Jim Schultz, co-founder and CEO of Intersect Illinois, the newly formed organization dedicated exclusively to increasing Illinois’ competitiveness for job creation and investment.

Also new is Stuart Anderson the director of planning, programming and modal division for Iowa Department of Transportation. Anderson will present with his Illinois and Missouri counterparts, directors Randall S. Blankenhorn and Patrick McKenna respectively, to share what is driving the future of transportation in each state.

“As usual, this summit brings together high-level speakers from a variety of backgrounds and areas of expertise,” said Jason Hutcheson, a member of the Summit steering committee. “It is a great opportunity to collectively raise the bar when it comes to an economic development strategy for Southeast Iowa, West Central Illinois, and Northeast Missouri.”

For more information about the Tri-State Development Summit, and to register, please contact Joi Cuartero Austin at JoiA@gredf.org or visit TriStateOfMind.com.