BRODHEAD — The Brodhead Community Economic Analysis Report is completed in report format. Digital copies are available online; hard copies of the report are also available at the Brodhead City Hall and the Brodhead Memorial Public Library.
Brodhead is one of five rural Wisconsin communities that has been actively engaged in the Community Economic Analysis for Rural Wisconsin Communities pilot program sponsored by the University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Extension (UW-Extension) and the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC). This program has been designed to enhance the resiliency and vibrancy of rural communities for current and future generations.
The Brodhead Community Economic Analysis program combines the knowledge and insights of local leaders and area residents with Brodhead-specific demographic and economic data delivered by a team of community economic development specialists from UW-Extension. Participants met over the course of 10 weeks to review Brodhead-specific data, comprehensively assess opportunities and challenges, and identify priorities for community and economic development.
“The CEA program provided Brodhead community leaders, including myself, the chance to prioritize economic initiatives. This, in turn, enables us to build upon past efforts and foster the growth of a more vibrant and dynamic community moving forward,” said Olivia Otte, Executive Director of Green County Development Corporation.
The outcomes of this pilot program will serve as the foundation for a Community Economic Development Strategic Plan and will meet the unique needs of the Brodhead community.
“I am very pleased to have been a part of the CEA project. I look forward to implementing what we have learned to move Brodhead towards the goals we have set during this project,” said Casey Jones, Mayor of Brodhead.
The City of Brodhead was chosen to participate in this pilot program through a competitive process from among more than two dozen rural communities that submitted applications. The Brodhead CEA committee consists of representatives from local businesses, the City of Brodhead, Brodhead Chamber of Commerce, Brodhead School District, Blackhawk Technical College, Green County Development Corporation, and several community-members-at-large. The University of Wisconsin-Madison representatives are from the Division of Extension’s Community Economic Development Program and the Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics.
For further information, or to learn more about the Brodhead Community Economic Analysis, please contact: Victoria Solomon at the Green County UW-Extension Office at (608) 328-9440 or victoria.solomon@wisc.edu.