Webinar: Rural Economic Development

On Tuesday, April 28 Rural LISC convened some of its CDC partners for a panel discussion of successes and unique challenges in bringing economic development and job growth to communities in Rural America.

Some of the topics covered by the panel were:

• How different CDCs are supporting economic development through small business lending in rural communities.
• What challenges rural small business lending poses and how CDCs have addressed them.
• Beyond lending: how CDCs assist their small business borrowers in other ways.
• What is unique about small business lending and development in rural communities and small towns, versus in urban centers.

The panel:

• Moderator: Kevin Boes, President & CEO of LISC’s New Markets Support Corporation.Kevin Boes has served as the President and CEO of New Markets Support Company (NMSC) since January 2011. He is responsible for the oversight and management of the company and has led the expansion of LISC's New Markets business to include syndication and CDE services.
• Keith Bisson, Senior Vice President, Program Management and Development for Coastal Enterprises, Inc. (CEI) in Wiscasset, ME. Keith Bisson manages CEI’s small business counseling, natural resources, and workforce development programs.
• Amanda Blondeau, Director, Northern Initiatives Business Advancement Center for Northern Initiatives, a CDFI in Marquette, MI. Leveraging eleven years of community development experience, Amanda Blondeau became the inaugural Director of Northern Initiatives Business Advancement Center in 2010.  
• Marcia Erickson and Lori Finnesand, Co-CEOs of GROW South Dakota in Sisseton, SD.Marcia Erickson and Lori Finnesand serve the organization’s vision of GROWing sustainable communities throughout the state through housing, community and economic development. 

See the presenters' slides here.

Listen to the archived panel discussion here.