Diversification Project Rollout
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Lillian Sunwall
Great Falls Development Authority
Project Manager
Phone: 406.771.9024
Regional Economic Diversification Project – Strategy Rollout
GREAT FALLS, MT – July 14, 2009 – On Wednesday, July 22, 2009, Cascade County and the Great Falls Development Authority invite you to join us for the initial rollout of the Diversification Project Strategy Report at 3:00 p.m. at MSU-Great Falls in the Heritage Hall. MSU-Great Falls is located at 2100 16th Avenue South.
This rollout of the strategy documents culminates almost 12 months of work by Praxis Strategy Group, Grand Forks, ND, and their team on the Office of Economic Adjustment (OEA) and Montana Department of Commerce (MDOC) funded Great Falls Region Defense Diversification Project. The Praxis Team has spent several months in the region conducting fact gathering and hundreds of interviews with local individuals and groups. Their report is comprehensive and provides an in-depth look at the region’s strengths. This project was initiated as the result of the loss of the 564th Missile Squadron on Malmstrom AFB in July 2007. As part of proactive strategy development, local leadership realized the need to look further at economic diversification to truly offset impacts from the loss of the 564th Squadron. On behalf of the counties and communities affected by the decision, Cascade County applied for funding to conduct a regional economic diversification project that would not only quantify the economic impacts of the loss of the 50 missiles, but look closely at areas of true competitive advantage in order to develop strategies for the Sweetgrass Region to have true economic diversification based in areas of strength. The counties in the Sweetgrass are Cascade, Glacier, Pondera, Teton and Toole and include the communities of Browning, Choteau, Conrad, Cut Bank, Great Falls, Shelby, and Valier. The rollout meeting is open to the public and we encourage everyone to attend.
For more information on the project please call Lillian Sunwall at (406) 771-9024 or email lsunwall@gfdevelopment.org
More background information on the Diversification Project is found under Current Projects.
