Contact: Casey Slaughter Becker, Office of the County Executive (608) 267-8823 or cell (608) 843-8858
Will Hold Series of Summits, Introduces New Survey to Gather Input from Diverse Sectors of Economy
Dane County Executive Joe Parisi launched the Dane County Jobs and Prosperity Project today, a new initiative to gather input from the business community, workers, and the general public to develop proposals that will aid in Dane County’s continued economic recovery and build long-term economic strength.
“To ensure continued prosperity in the decades ahead, I believe now is the time to re-focus our efforts and ensure Dane County is doing everything it can to facilitate and promote economic development during these difficult economic times and beyond,” said Parisi. “I want to hear any and all ideas, not only from the business community, but from workers and our citizens.”
Six summits will be held across the county from next week until the end of August, hosted by local businesses and moderated by prominent economic development leaders. Each summit will focus on a different sector of Dane County’s diverse economy. Input collected from the summits will help guide the creation of a new county entity that focuses on economic development.
Local employers, employees, and members of the general public who are interested and able to attend any of the scheduled summits are encouraged to do so. (Please see attached sheet for session information and how to RSVP.)
“Dane County has a diverse economy and that gives us strength,” said Parisi. “From High Tech and Bio Tech, to a more than $3 billion dollar agriculture economy, to a thriving green economy, and a robust small business community where 86% of employers have 10 or fewer employees – working together we can make our county even stronger.”
The announcement was held in Fitchburg at Roman Candle Pizza. Roman Candle first opened its doors on Madison’s east side in 2005. Since then, owners Tom Cranley and Brewer Stouffer have expanded their operations to four locations in Dane County, creating nearly 100 jobs in Madison, Middleton, and Fitchburg.
“We chose Dane County because it’s not just a great place to run a business, it’s also a great place to live,” said Cranley. “Having the opportunity to build a relationship with local government will enable us to weather our current economic storm and continue to grow in this community.”
The County Executive encouraged summit participants, and anyone who is interested in weighing in on the future of Dane County’s economic development, to complete an interactive survey that will be available on the Dane County Jobs and Prosperity Project website beginning Monday, July 18th: http://www.prosperitydane.com. Visitors can also access additional information about the Jobs and Prosperity Project’s goals.
