Opportunities for Locally Based Faculty

1
Opportunities for Locally Based Faculty Student
Research

• Jim Shuman
• Chair, Department of Education
• Ben Dixon
• SLU Coordinator for Community Development

2
The Ellen C. Burt 42 Endowment for North
Country Education

• The mission of the annual Symposium isto
  convene stakeholders in northern New York to
  explore and ultimately enhance the region's
  economic, environmental, and educational
  vitality.

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Symposium Steering Committee

• Steering Committee Chair Jim Shuman, Chair,
  Department of Education, St. Lawrence University
• Steering CommitteeAnn Adams, Superintendent,
  Hermon-DeKalb Central School DistrictJudy
  Aldrich, Legislative Aid, Office of Assemblywoman
  Dede ScozzoffavaWade Davis, Executive Director,
  Ogdensburg Bridge and Port AuthorityDeborah
  Elek, Director, SUNY Potsdam Reg. Research
  Community Education CenterRaymond Fountain,
  Director, SLC Office of Economic Development
  Linda Gush, Superintendent, St. Lawrence-Lewis
  BOCESAnn Heidenreich, Executive Director,
  Community Energy Services, Inc.Courtney
  Johnson-Woods, Assistant Director, Innovation
  Entrepreneurship, ClarksonPatrick Kelly, Deputy
  Director, SLC Office of Economic
  DevelopmentLinda McQuinn, Director of Economic
  Development, Town and Village of CantonAllan
  Newell, President, Sweetgrass Foundation,
  Inc.Brian Norton, Economic Developer, SLC Office
  of Economic DevelopmentEllen Rocco, General
  Manager, North Country Public RadioKaren St.
  Hilaire, Executive Director CEO, SLC Chamber of
  CommerceDoug Welch, Chair, St. Lawrence County
  Planning Board
• Bob Zimmerman, Member of Board of Directors, St.
  Lawrence Leadership InstituteKeith Zimmerman,
  Director, St. Lawrence County Planning Office
• Ex Officio
• Daniel Sullivan, President, St. Lawrence
  UniversityAnn Sullivan, Associate to the
  President, St. Lawrence University Ben Dixon,
  Coordinator, St. Lawrence University

4
North Country Symposia

• 2003 Inaugural Symposium
• Going Local Capitalizing on our Resources in
  St. Lawrence County
• 2004 2nd Symposium
• Our Community, Our Future Building on Local
  Assets in St. Lawrence County
• 2005 3rd Symposium
• Strengthening Local Economies Through
  Collaboration Among Community and Educational
  Institutions
• 2006 4th Symposium
• Seizing the Initiative Applying North Country
  Symposium Ideas
• in St. Lawrence County Projects
• 2007 5th Symposium
• North Country First Creating Opportunities for
  Sustainable Growth

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Inaugural Symposium What is Going Local?

• Michael Shuman, Going Local Creating
  Self-Reliant Communities in a Global Age
  (Routledge, 2000)
• Results of county-wide analysis
• Alternative viewpoint on economic development
• Strengthens local economy to avoid reliance on
  non-local sources of capital, products, services

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Main Points of Going Local

• Local ownership of businesses
• Plugging leaks of capital out of county
• The Money Wheel (economic multiplier)

7
Snapshot Analysis of St. Lawrence County

• Abundant natural resources scenic beauty
• Exceptional educational resources
• High levels of educational attainment
• Strong workforce fidelity
• Falling behind economically
• High levels of unemployment poverty
• Losing population, especially young people
• Changing job market and job requirements

8
SWOT Analysis Summer, 2004St. Lawrence County
Planning Office

• Strengths natural resource base, educational
  institutions, geographic fidelity, cultural
  opportunities, work force
• Weaknesses resource leakage, lack of access to
  capital, lack of shared vision for region
• Opportunities tourism, niche marketing,
  technology access
• Threats fractious bureaucracy, loss of local
  equity, loss of control over local hydropower

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Symposium Action/Research Teams

• Ten Teams (from BEA economic sectors)
• Identify and Develop Initiative Opportunities
• Business Enterprise  Manufacturing
  Education 
• Energy    Arts, Entertainment Tourism
• Finance, Insurance Real Estate
• Food Agriculture 
• Health    Housing   Retail    Transportation

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Indicators and Performance Monitoring

• Selection of economic indicators to
• Help define current situation
• Monitor progress as shown by indicators
• Make strategic decisions on how to move forward

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5th Annual North Country SymposiumNorth Country
First Creating Opportunities for Sustainable
Growth
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2007 Symposium Opportunities for
Sustainable Development

• New York North Country First Debit Card
• Renewable Energy and Local Bio-Fuels Production
• (Biomass Pelletization)
• Business Development Initiatives at Clarkson
  University
• Entrepreneurship Training
• BionTech Ethanol/Livestock Development
• North Country Air Service
• Integrated Summer Sport and Fitness Facilities
• Population Enhancement in Canton and St. Lawrence
  County
• SLUs Coming Home and Countys Come Farm with
  Us
• Energy-efficient housing
• Grass River Heritage Project

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Research Needs Identified by 2007
Action/Research Teams

• Identify baseline data for local economic
  indicators
• Survey primary locations for switchgrass
  cultivation in county
• Market research for biomass pellet use throughout
  county
• Buy local debit card market study
• Testing of a buy local ad campaign w/retailers
  consumers
• Identify housing market needs in county
• Tax reductions for energy-efficient housing
• Hospitals/health care organizations in county
• Map numbers of K-12 school children living in
  poverty
• Determine local transportation needs
• Determine college student transportation needs
  (at all four colleges)

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How can you get involved?

• Work with an Action/Research Team to conduct
  research needed for progress
• Help identify and track performance indicators
• Develop a research plan involving students
• (Walker Fellowships SLU Summer Fellowships)
• Attend the Symposium
• Go Local First!!

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For more information

• Contact
• Ben Dixon, Coordinator
• North Country Symposium
• St. Lawrence University
• 315-229-5664 bdixon_at_stlawu.edu
• www.northcountrysymposium.org
• Questions?