Preface & Acknowledgements

This Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy, referred to as the “CEDS”, is the result of the community of Northwest Lower Michigan convening to define and improve the regional economic conditions that affect communities in their local economic development efforts.

The process undertaken for the development of the CEDS is that of seeking collaborative open communication amongst the region’s Economic Development Organizations and economic development stakeholders. The business community, employers, employees, elected & appointed officials and the public at large are afforded the opportunity to provide comment on the plan and process through a required thirty day public review period upon completion of the draft document.

The CEDS process was initiated in late 2020 with the development of a scope of work within the Networks Northwest Community Development Department. The scope of work outlined a process to be undertaken that contracted with our local Economic Development Organizations (EDO’s) for the recruitment of Task Force Members that would lend expertise and knowledge to the process. The EDO’s would disseminate information to the local County level as well as to the regional level task force group and Community Development Staff.

Community Development Staff duties were process facilitation, meeting preparation and timeline management, research and information gathering, document section and appendix preparation, and review and approval proceedings for the completed CEDS.

A full account of the document development process can be found in Appendix A.

This document was prepared with funding from the U.S. Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration (EDA)

Address inquiries regarding this publication to:

Networks Northwest Community Development Department

PO Box 506

Travers City, MI 49685

(231) 929-5000

www.NetworksNorthwest.org