Practical Solutions and Dynamic Outcomes

• Called on by Nevada Department of Commerce/Travel Nevada to develop a strategy and 10-year plan to bring economic development to the area through physical development of assets and resources, in an area where industry or other economic development had been challenging to attract.
• Created a restoration sequence to activate and operationalize the historic resources to generate sustainable revenue streams as each came online.
• Accompanied the plan with an action plan to elevate the Virginia City Historic Landmark District to a World Heritage Site.

• After the town’s major employer left after a merger, a plan was created to pull together the existing assets and resources into a cohesive marketing program
• Used placemaking to make the town more attractive to visitors
• The excursion railroad now attracts 30,000 passengers a year
• 13 new businesses moved in and all the empty buildings on Main Street are filled

• Created a plan for the 500-mile Scenic Byway All American Road route through Southern Oregon and Northern California to generate economic development in the 47 small towns and unincorporated communities along the route.
• Further engaged by Lassen County Transportation Commission to develop and enhance the visitor experience along the entire route that had never been completely documented.
• Recommended changes in the route to enhance the visitor experience and deliver economic development to more communities in economically disadvantaged areas with volcanic attractions that had not previously been included.

• Conversations with officials and residents led to economic development actions that could be implemented without extensive funding.
• Community improvements including a school bond issue, a new Care Center, and more followed.
• Real estate sales increased, more restaurants opened, and the campground expanded, adding to the economic development generated from those initial conversations.

• Engaged by the Economic Development Director to create a plan for agriculturally-focused destination experiences that would deliver economic development throughout the county which is 79% farmland.
• Over 60 shops, farmsteads, nurseries, farms and included in an Agricultural Heritage Trail.
• A new Amish Backroads Byway touched a good number of the 375 Amish businesses in the county.

The Chamber of Commerce was actively involved in bringing economic development to a city of less than 15,000 including:

• Development and delivery of childcare
• Creating a foundation to deliver scholarships to support workforce development
• Activating a program to keep all businesses on Main Street open when the main state route through town was torn up for three years
• Development of a mural program to make the town more attractive

• A time-tested process initially developed in a Chamber of Commerce has been used extensively throughout America to fill empty buildings on Main Streets throughout the country
• Voluntary participation of even uncooperative landlords increases the prospects of success
• Local efforts to improve facades and other inexpensive enhancements improve downtowns as well as the prospects to fill the buildings

• To accommodate the employees moving to north of the more expensive Texas metropolitan economic triangle, a plan and land was allocated to the very needed “missing-middle” single family residences were constructed to serve young families.
• A tourism plan was developed to extend economic development to the small businesses in the small towns
• Additional businesses that support industries in the economic triangle have been recruited

• Conversations with residents and officials revealed the lack of communication between the two groups to take advantage of useful programs already in place.
• Beautification efforts are being led by both the county and residents.
• Tourism will be introduced to supplement the economic development in the County.
• A plan to build tiny homes to house new mining employees instead of the proverbial trailer park is being put in place.

• When area mines closed abruptly with no notice, an economic development plan was created to develop the first ever tourism effort in this region of Idaho, the only region in the state that did not previously have one.
• Created a new identification, logo, positioning, packaging, itineraries, and event plan
• Worked closely with local accommodations properties to develop a detailed visitor profile that revealed visitors stayed longer than originally anticipated, increasing their economic development delivery potential.
• Compiled a comprehensive tourism resource and asset inventory that reveal 3 major attractions: a National Monument, Professional Circuit Rodeo, and a Gold Level Dark Skies Reserve, along with and 20 other offerings not previously promoted.

• Assisted a town of 33,000 residents to generate a new identification as an “Urban Nature Haven” – a serene oasis located in the middle of a highly commercialized area.
• Developed a tourism development plan to congregate blueway waterways, greenways, two expanses of preserved land and other elements into a cohesive tourism offering.
• Expanded the plan and strategies to include the arts, murals, events, infrastructure development and the tourism staffing capacity that would be needed to implement and sustain the effort.
• A hotel provided information on 22,000 room nights resulting in very finely detailed visitor profiles that served as a targeted marketing plan of who to market to and where.