The annual Northern Lakes Economic Symposium and Showcase is a forum for local and state government officials, community and business leaders, area entrepreneurs, chamber members, educational leaders and everyone involved in the economic vitality of our region for sharing of knowledge of the economic drivers of the region, networking, and celebration.

This year the focus will be Talent Retention and Attraction. The event runs on the generous support of sponsorships. If your organization is interested in sponsorship opportunities please contact Sam Bailey.

Has someone new joined your neighborhood or apartment building recently? Are they relocating within Northern Lower Michigan or relocating from out of state? Economic development professionals closely monitor demographic trends in the communities they serve because demographic shifts mean changes in workforce, school funding, housing prices, usage of public services, and so much more.

Local communities felt the post-pandemic boom as lockdown orders were lifted and people flocked to the area for a multitude of reasons. While your town may have felt busier, how may of those people actually moved here? Click to see the data and what it means for the NLEA service area.

As noted in the "Neighbor" article above, a growing population increases demand for goods and services while an aging population decreases the number of working-age individuals to meet demand. These trends pose a critical question, how do we attract and retain the talent necessary for the region to thrive? The NLEA is taking several steps to begin to address the ubiquitous challenge of attracting and retaining talent.

For the NLEA/DTE Energy Foundation Summer Intern project, a team of paid interns will focus on developing social media content to better market the region, its businesses, and its communities to working-age individuals around the country. Applications are rolling in, apply now!

The NLEA’s Chris Bauer attended the groundbreaking ceremony for The Renwick, a multi-use project which will include 16 luxury condominiums and a market and retail space on the main level at the site of the former Walloon Village General Store (4036 M-75 North).

According to its website The Renwick will offer the Wallon Lakes' resort community a renewed General Store and elegant lakeview Residences with million dollar sunsets. Just steps away from everything in the Village of Walloon Lake.

The Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA) has announced that it will provide a second round of funding, up to $10 million dollars statewide, through the Michigan Housing Opportunities Promoting Energy-Efficiency (MI-HOPE) program. The program which will be an extension of the Neighborhood Enhancement Program. MI-HOPE is a federally-funded program utilizing United States Department of the Treasury American Rescue Plan Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds. This funding will be made available statewide based on a formal subrecipient award structure to 501(c) nonprofit agencies and units of government with award determinations based on competitive funding rounds and subsequent obligation and expenditure performance. The requested minimum amount of funding is $50,000 and the maximum request amount is $500,000 per agency.

Please follow the instructions outlined on the MSHDA website to complete the submission requirements.

Michigan Works! Northeast Consortium

MSU Extension (MSUE) News | MSUE Connecting Entrepreneurial Communities News