Greater St Cloud Development Corporation

TO LEAD INCLUSIVE & EQUITABLE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE GREATER ST CLOUD COMMUNITY

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT - IN RESPONSE TO THE MASSIVE CHALLENGES PRESENTED BY THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC EVENT, GSDC SHIFTED ITS USUAL COMMUNITY AND BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIES AND ASSISTANCE TO IMMEDIATELY ASSIST HUNDREDS OF DEVASTED AREA COMPANIES, ORGANIZATIONS AND EMPLOYEES/JOB SEEKERS TO ACCESS PANDEMIC RELATED ASSISTANCE AND CRITICAL INFORMATION AND RESOURCES TO HELP NAVIGATE THE CONTINUING IMPACTS OF THE PANDEMIC. ADDITIONALLY, IN ORDER TO ATTRACT, RETAIN AND EXPAND BUSINESSES WITHIN THE REGION, THE GSDC IS FOCUSED ON BUILDING AND DEVELOPING THE COMMUNITY THROUGH MULTIPLE STRATEGIC INITIATIVES THAT SUPPORT BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT: 1) IMPROVE ACCESS TO THE REGION BY EXPANDING THE REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE, GSDC SUCCESSFULLY LED EFFORTS TO SECURE $250,000 OF FUNDING TO COMPLETE AIRPORT OPTIMIZATION STUDY AND IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGY FOR THE ST CLOUD REGIONAL AIRPORT WHICH LED TO APPROVAL BY THE COUNTIES OF BENTON, SHERBURNE AND STEARNS AND THE CITY OF ST. CLOUD TO CREATE A REGIONAL AIRPORT AUTHORITY AND BY THE FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION. GDSC ALSO COLLABORATES WITH THE I-94 WEST COALITION TO PROMOTE CONTINUED EXPANSION OF I-94 FROM THE TWIN CITIES TO THE ST CLOUD REGION. 2) GSDC SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED A COMPREHENSIVE UPDATE AND REFRESH TO THE DIGITAL MARKETING TOOLS (WWW.STCLOUDSHINES.COM AND WWW.GREATERSTCLOUD.COM) USED TO PROMOTE THE REGION FOR TALENT AND BUSINESS ATTRACTION, RETENTION AND EXPANSION INCLUDING CONTINUATION OF AN EXPANSIVE SOCIAL MEDIA CAMPAIGN THAT HAS GARNERED MORE THAN 155 MILLION IMPRESSIONS VIA FACEBOOK AND INSTAGRAM SINCE ITS LAUNCH IN 2019. 3) GSDC CONTINUES TO HOST AND SUPPORT THE HARVARD BASED YOUNG AMERICAN LEADERS COHORT INITIATIVE. 4) GSDC PARTICIPATED IN THE FEDERAL RESERVE BANK OF PHILADELPHIA SECOND ITERATION OF THEIR 'REINVENTING OUR COMMUNITIES' PROGRAM. 5) GSDC CONTINUES TO COLLABORATE WITH THE DOWNTOWN COUNCIL ORGANIZATION IN PROMOTING REVITALIZATION EFFORTS FOR THE DOWNTOWN ST. CLOUD REGION. 6) GSDC SOLICITED AND RECOGNIZED FOUR COMPANIES/ORGANIZATIONS WITH INNOVATION AWARDS. 7) GSDC ALSO PARTNERED IN LEADING THE SUCCESSFUL EXECUTION OF TEDX ST. CLOUD 2021 IN A VIRTUAL FORMAT. 8) GSDC CONTINUES TO LEAD AND CONVENE COMMUNITY LEADERS IN EFFORTS TO ADDRESS DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION NEEDS IN THE REGION THAT WILL LEAD TO EVENTUAL ELIMINATION OF THE RACIAL DISPARITIES GAP. GSDC ASSISTED PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS IN SUBMITTING A 'MAIN STREET ECONOMIC REVITALIZATION PROGRAM' FUNDING PROPOSAL TO ASSIST DESIGNATED CORRIDORS IN ST. CLOUD'S DOWNTOWN AREA TO MITIGATE IMPACTS SINCE THE ONSET OF THE PANDEMIC.

BUSINESS RETENTION AND EXPANSION - THE GSDC CONTINUES TO TAKE A LEADERSHIP ROLE IN PARTNERING WITH LOCAL CITIES, COUNTIES AND CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE TO DEPLOY STANDARDIZED, REGIONAL PROCESSES FOR BUSINESS RETENTION AND EXPANSION. THE GSDC HAS DEVELOPED THESE STREAMLINED PROCESSES BASED ON BEST PRACTICES, STANDARD TOOLS AND TECHNOLOGY. IN 2021, THE GSDC CONDUCTED MORE THAN 42 VISITS AND/OR INTERVIEWS WITH LOCAL PRIMARY SECTOR BUSINESSES. GSDC ASSISTED IN SECURING $18,750 IN BUSINESS ASSISTANCE AWARDS (EXCLUDES PANDEMIC RELATED RESOURCES) PROCURED TO ASSIST BUSINESSES. GSDC LAUNCHED AND MAINTAINS AN ONLINE TUTORING PLATFORM TO SUPPORT KIDS AND FAMILIES DURING DISTANCE LEARNING AND BEYOND. GSDC FEATURED NEARLY 1,200 AREA EMPLOYERS AND MORE THAN 16,000 JOBS ON ITS WEBSITE TO HELP FACILITATE JOB SEEKERS WITH OPPORTUNITIES.

BUSINESS ATTRACTION AND START-UP - THE GSDC IS TAKING A LEADERSHIP POSITION IN PARTNERING WITH LOCAL CITIES, COUNTIES, AND THE STATE OF MN TO DEPLOY COLLABORATIVE REGIONAL PROCESS FOR BUSINESS ATTRACTION. GSDC IS AN ENGAGED MEMBER IN THE MN MARKETING PARTNERSHIP WHICH IS LED BY DEED TO ATTRACT BUSINESS TO MINNESOTA. GSDC ASSISTED 200+ ENTREPRENEURS AND STARTUPS THROUGH ITS DESIGNATION AS A NEW "LAUNCH MINNESOTA" HUB AND THROUGH ITS CONTRACTED ACCELERATOR SERVICES. GSDC ALSO RESPONDED TO 5 BUSINESS ATTRACTION INQUIRIES IN 2021 AND 161 COLLECTIVELY SINCE 2014.