ESCANABA — During my time with the Delta County Economic Development Alliance I have heard a consistent theme from businesses and municipalities going through grant processes that provide assistance and spur opportunities in our area. The feedback is that the application is very time consuming, my project doesn’t meet the target profile because it is too small and I don’t have the staff to work on the requirements. So consequently programs that are designed to help small businesses and municipalities aren’t utilized in rural areas. The rural areas end up not getting their fair share of funds from this type of program. For a long time people across the U.P. have asked for a champion that will be tasked with making sure rural areas and their concerns are heard and shared with our elected officials. The effort from our Economic Development Organizations in the U.P. and other rural areas of the state has become a reality. Legislation was signed in January to create the “Office of Rural Development”. The Office will fall under the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development and its Director Gary McDowell.

Tuesday InvestUP CEO Marty Fittante introduced Sarah Lucas as the deputy director for the Office of Rural Development. Sarah will bring a wealth of knowledge to the position and really understands the issues we are running up against. She will be tasked with filling out an organization that will look at the policies, programs and resources that are needed in rural Michigan. She will work with local & regional development partners to make sure the programs are addressing the rural priorities. I have had the privilege to work with Sarah as part of our U.P. EDO calls and I am very excited that she was chosen for the deputy director position. While I know she will be a willing partner to help us achieve our goals and share our feedback, there is a lot of work to do. A stat Ms. Lucas shared with us during her introduction really caught my ear. 20% of the Michigan population live in a area that is considered rural, but 94% of the land in Michigan is considered rural. While I know she is not a miracle worker, she will be a great champion for rural areas and the U.P.

Another strategy that is gaining traction with our elected officials as they go through the budgetary process, is the concept of regionalization of funds to help develop projects in Michigan. This makes sure everyone gets a share of the support that is available to help with infrastructure, business development, housing and attraction/retention of population. Regional programs seem to serve us much better in the U.P. Projects that we have in the UP may not be as large as in other parts of the State, but have a tremendous impact for our economy. The collaborative efforts of the many U.P. Economic Development Organizations are being shared by leaders like InvestUP CEO Marty Fittante with our legislators. Sarah Lucas will now also be a major ally to spur development.

An important event will be kicking off activities June 22-26th at the Sweetgrass Golf Course at the Island Resort & Casino. The Epson Tour’s Island Resort Championship will show case their talented female golfers looking to make it to the LPGA Tour. It is a very fun and busy week. The area will have over 200 volunteers to help assist with the tournament and make sure the Epson Golfers enjoy their time in the U.P. If you have not been to a pro golf event in the past this is a very affordable way to see how good they are in person. I hope to see you there.

— — —

Ed Legault is director of the Delta County Economic Development Alliance