Dakota Future is an opportunity.
November 30, 2006 by dakotafutureHello, I am Bill Coleman, executive director of Dakota Future. As this is our first entry into our new blog, I want to tell you about our organization. You can find complete information at www.dakotafuture.com or contact me directly at bill@dakotafuture.com.
Dakota Future is a non-profit economic development corporation operating in Dakota County, MN, on the southern rim of the Twin Cities Metropolitan Area. We have been in business about two years and are planning for a big third year in 2007. It is big because many of our funding commitments were for three years and we will have to have a strong performance to justify continued funding. Most of our funding is from the local corporate community, including Thomson, Dakota Electric Association, Great River Energy, Wells Fargo, Waterous and Goodrich Sensor Systems. The Dakota Scott Workforce Investment Board is also a generous contributor.
I am excited about the progress that we are doing. Our mission is to make Dakota County a great place to live and do business. Our Board of Directors is really contributing ideas and support. We have a manufacturers’ initiative underway and are doing a joint marketing plan with the cities in the county. We are awaiting word on approval of our Bio-Zone application to the MN Department of Employment and Economic Development. We are hosting a holiday reception for our supporters. And we are planning a big event for February - Next Generation Dakota County.
Dakota Future has great potential to bring the key folks together from around the county. We have good representation from some companies, our two colleges and local government. We just need a few more of our larger companies to join in on our efforts. 2007 should be a good year.
If you are a Dakota County resident or business, we would love to hear from you.
