Aberdeen American News, SD
06-27-06
Goal: Bringing people together
NSU institute hosts third annual town hall meeting Thursday
From staff reports
Success stories will be celebrated and ideas will be brainstormed when Northern
State University's Institute for Rural Education and Community Development
hosts the third annual town hall meeting Thursday.
Gov. Mike Rounds will give the welcome address, and Cornelia Butler Flora will
provide the keynote address at the event, which runs from 8:30 a.m. until about
4:30 p.m. The meeting will be at the Student Center on the NSU campus.
"This is our third year of doing this, so it really gives us an opportunity to do a
little celebrating of the success in the region," said Constance Geier, the director
of the Institute for Rural Education and Community Development. "... The goal of
the town hall meeting is to bring people from northeast South Dakota together.
We believe we have some unique challenges and concerns that are specific to
this region."
Some of those challenges will be discussed in focus group roundtables in the
afternoon. Geier said the four topics include: education, affordable housing, the
aging population and community capital, about which Flora will be speaking.
Flora, who is an Iowa State University professor of sociology and
agriculture and the director of the North Central Regional Center for Rural
Development, is known internationally for community and regional analysis and
development.
"She'll be talking about how we can look at the resources we have and what we
can do with them," Geier said.
A panel discussion with representatives from Glacial Lakes Area Development,
Grow SPINK, the Northeast South Dakota Regional Aging Council and the
Regional Development Task Force of Absolutely Aberdeen will also be held.
More than 600 policy makers and community leaders were invited to the town
hall meeting. Geier said 80 have signed up, but anybody is welcome.
"It's not limited to someone who's holding an office," she said. "If someone is
interested, they should come."
Registration is $25 and can be done by contacting Geier at (605) 626-3169 or emailing her at geierc@northern.edu. Registration includes a light breakfast and a
prime rib lunch.
The schedule for the event is:
8:30 a.m.: Kuchen from Eureka, coffee and juice served.
9 a.m.: Panel: Celebrating our successes with Steve Dahlstrom and Tom Farber
of Glacial Lakes Area Development, Craig Johnson of Grow SPINK, Jerome
Ferson of the Regional Development Task Force of Absolutely Aberdeen and
Carol Thomas of the Northeast South Dakota Regional Aging Council.
10 a.m.: Welcome address from Gov. Mike Rounds.
10:30 a.m.: Break.
10:45 a.m.: Roundtable discussion groups with the panel members.
11:45 a.m.: Messages from Washington - read statements from the staff of Sen.
Tim Johnson, D-S.D., Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., and Stephanie Herseth, D-S.D.
Noon: Luncheon.
1 p.m.: Keynote address: "South Dakota Community Capitals: Building on
Regional Strengths for the 21st Century" with Cornelia Butler Flora, distinguished
professor of sociology and agriculture at Iowa State University and director of the
North Central Regional Center for Rural Development.
2 p.m.: Large group discussion.
2:30 p.m.: Snack break with cheese from Milbank and crackers.
2:45 p.m.: Focus group roundtables with Lynn Fundingsland of Fargo Housing
Authority, Jim Seeber of the Regional Aging Council, Flora of the North Central
Regional Center for Rural Development and Kelly Duncan of the South Dakota
Board of Education.
3:30 p.m.: Large group discussion.
4 p.m.: Closing remarks.