BROOKINGS The city of Brookings has launched an investigatory group to help unify the citys economic development efforts.
The initiative aims to merge four entities: Brookings Area Chamber of Commerce, Brookings Economic Development Corp., Downtown Brookings, and Visit Brookings.
Deputy Mayor Nick Wendell, who will co-chair the group, said the goal is to create a cohesive structure that can more effectively support Brookings economic development objectives.
The unified approach will allow Brookings to better leverage resources, encourage collaboration, and implement innovative strategies for sustainable growth, Wendell said. This is a pivotal step forward as we invest in our communitys future.
The merger aligns with goal seven of the Community Economic Development Master Plan, which focuses on creating a collaborative and efficient ecosystem to foster economic progress. Approved by the City Council in January 2023, the master plan was created in collaboration with community partners, leaders and businesses. The plan can be found on the citys website atwww.cityofbrookings-sd.gov/EconomicDevelopmentMasterPlan.
At its regular meeting on Nov. 26, the City Council voted to create the group tasked with developing an implementation plan for the merger. Joining Wendell will be two additional City Council members and representatives from several key organizations, including the four economic development entities.
The group will convene regularly between December and April and then present an implementation plan to the council. Once approved, the plan will guide the appointment of a new board to oversee the merged organization and the search process for a CEO/president to lead the unified entity.
Wendell said the goal is to have the new board and CEO/president in place by fall 2025. The timeline aligns with the citys budget cycle for fiscal year 2026, he said.
Until that time, the four economic development organizations are expected to continue to operate as usual. Council recently approved the citys FY25 budget, and funding for our existing economic agencies will remain in place throughout 2025, Wendell said.
City Council member Holly Tilton Byrne said she views the effort as a partnership with the four organizations. The city absolutely supports each of the entities involved. As stewards of taxpayer dollars, it is important that we look at ways to make the most impactful investment, and this collaborative effort will more effectively leverage those dollars for each of these agencies.
The citys 2025 budget dedicates nearly $860,000 to the four economic development agencies.
The dollars that we invest in each of those agencies would be able to go further if they had a collective, collaborative effort as a single organization, Tilton Byrne said.
Updates on the groups work will be provided at City Council meetings. We encourage community engagement and welcome input from residents and stakeholders throughout this process, Wendell said.
Members of the investigatory group are:
- Nick Wendell (co-chair)
- Tom Fishback (co-chair)
- Wayne Avery (council representative)
- Angela Boersma
- Andi Fouberg
- Paul Gilk
- Marcus Heemstra
- Jamison Lamp
- Jacob Meshke
- Daniel Scholl
- Laci Thompson
- Holly Tilton Byrne (council representative)
- Mike Turnwall
Leave a Reply