Community Development
Will Andresen serves as the Community Resource Development (CRD) educator for Iron County. CRD educators help Wisconsin communities deal with their own unique challenges – community development, economic development, comprehensive planning, business development and environmental protection. Backed by University of Wisconsin research, CRD educators work with community leaders, local government officials, civic organizations and businesses to help them identify their most critical concerns and to work towards finding solutions to their problems.
STAFF
If you have any questions regarding Community Development in Iron County, please contact:
Will Andresen
Iron County – UW Extension
Courthouse
300 Taconite Street, Suite 118
Hurley, WI 54534
Phone: 715-561-2695, Extension 2118
Fax: 715-561-2704
Email: will.andresen@ces.uwex.edu
Next Generation: Attracting and Retaining Young People
Next Generation Brochure
Many of today’s young people are looking for more than just a job; they want to live in a place that also matches their lifestyle. This is a major change that local government and economic development officials should understand so that the community can attract and retain young people to sustain its population and economy.
Andresen surveyed 668 local young people. (Next Generation Survey Results) Andresen presented the survey results to an audience of over 60 local leaders and
community members, dividing the group into four work-groups to address strategies to retain and attract young people:
- Retain Existing Students by Better Connecting Them to the Community
- Attract Young Workers by Promoting our Strengths
- Attract Young Workers by Developing Our Niche
- Retain Young Workers by Creating Social Capital
Upcoming Events
Announcing Website Promoting the Gogebic Range…
...a new promotional website designed to attract young people to the Gogebic Range of Iron County, Wisconsin and Gogebic County, Michigan” - www.felivelife.com
Help promote this new website by putting an 
bumper sticker on your vehicle. Contact Will Andresen for your free bumper sticker.
The “Beautiful Northwoods Adenture” website (www.felivelife.com) is now on Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1546928383#!/pages/FeLiveLifecom/116514315029971?ref=ts
Become a fan.
And now on Twitter, too. To follow promotional updates, just search for “Gogebic Range” in your Twitter account.
Publications
Grow Magazine - http://www.grow2.uwcalscommunication.com/communities/gaining-on-the-drain
Journal of Extension - http://www.joe.org/joe/2011april/iw1.php
UW Center for Community and Economic Development - http://www.uwex.edu/ces/cced/downtowns/ltb/documents/DE1010.pdf
Illinois Institute for Rural Affairs - http://www.iira.org/pubs/publications/IIRA_RRR_707.pdf
The Capital Times - http://host.madison.com/ct/news/opinion/column/bill_berry/article_b2af9027-57bc-5be3-a92f-b05f83ff5db8.html?mode=story
UW-Extension “Scholarship” website - http://www.uwex.edu/academic-affairs/andresen.html
Presentations
“Measuring the Effectiveness of a Community-based Effort to Attract and Retain Young People;” Joint Council of Extension Professionals Annual Conference; Stevens Point, WI; April 6, 2011
“Gogebic Range Next Generation Initiative: Connecting UW-Extension with the Community and Engaging Residents in a Change Effort”; UW-Extension State Conference; Madison, WI; October 20, 2010
“Gogebic Range Next Generation Initiative: Attracting and Retaining Young People”; National Association of Community Development Extension Professionals National Conference; Minneapolis, MN; April 14, 2010
“Bringing Youth to Iron County, Wisconsin”; Western Illinois University Institute for Rural Affairs Rural Community Economic Development Conference; Peoria, IL; March 2, 2010
“Retaining and Attracting Young People as an Economic Development Strategy”; UW-Extension Center for Community and Economic Development Building Communities Webinar Series; Madison, WI; February 16, 2010
“Location Decision Making in Small Towns: Creating Communities Attractive to Young People”; International Making Cities Livable Conference; Portland, OR; May 12, 2009
“Linking Community and UW-Extension Resources to Retain and Attract Young People”; Wisconsin Associated Council of Extension Committees District 4 Annual Meeting; Crandon, WI; April 17, 2009
“Connecting the University with the Community to Retain and Attract Young People”; University of Wisconsin Colleges Colloquium; Appleton, WI; May 26, 2009
“Location Decision Making in Small Towns: Using Assets to Retain and Attract Young People”; UW-Extension Department of Community Resource Development Symposium; Madison, WI; March 5, 2009
Next Generation “Go-In’ Forward” now on Facebook
Email:goin.forward@hotmail.com
Next Generation Presentation – December 10, 2008
Next Generation PowerPoint Presentation (PowerPoint - 62 slides, 6.60 MB)
Next Generation Break-Out Groups (PDF – 11 pages, 156 KB)
Superior Chronicle: Next Generation Follow-up Meeting
Next Generation Location Decision-Making Survey
Next Generation “Local” Decision-Making Survey Results (PDF – 8 pages, 20.4 KB)
Next Generation ” Move-Aways” Decision-Making Survey Results (PDF – 7 pages, 18.0 KB)
Next Generation Initiative Evaluation Plan – 2009
Next Generation Initiative Evaluation Plan 2009 (PDF – 13 pages, 57 KB)
Next Generation Initiative Evaluation Summary – April, 2010
Next Generation Initiative Evaluation Summary (PDF - 10 pages, 159 KB)
Related Links:
Community and Economic Development
Community and Economic Development Tool Box
Community and Economic Development Building Blocks
NACDEP PowerPoint Presentation (23 slides, 736 KB)
Chasing the Money or Funding a Vision On-Line Course (under construction)
Chasing the Money or Funding a Vision PowerPoint Presentation (20 slides, 1.04 MB)
Building Communities WisLine Series
Hurley DOC PowerPoint Presentation (41 slides, 5.74 MB)
Related Links:
UW-Extension Center for Community and Economic Development
UW-Extension Northern Center for Community and Economic Development
Grant Writing
Grant Writing Workshop PowerPoint Presentation (37 slides, 1.02 MB)
Grants – Iron County Summary (2 pages, 81.5 KB)
Related Links:
Fund Raising and Grant Writing Links (Public Sector)
Fund Raising and Grant Writing Links (Private Sector)
“Grant Writing and the ‘Hare and the Tortoise’: Insights into the Extension Educators Role”
Comprehensive Planning
Iron County Comprehensive Plan (and all 10 towns)
Iron County Public Participation Plan
Iron County Comprehensive Plan Survey (Synopsis)
Iron County Comprehensive Plan Survey (Results)
Involving Youth in Community Planning PowerPoint Presentation(12 slides, 73.5 KB)
Related Links:
UW-Extension Center for Land Use Education
UW-Extension Local Government Center
Leadership Development
Gogebic Range Leadership Academy (2 pages, 338 KB)
Related Links:
Leadership Wisconsin
UW-Extension Center for Community and Economic Development
Business Development
Northwoods Inventors’ and Entrepreneurs’ Club – Contact the Oneida County UW-Extension office at (715) 365-2750 for information on joining the Northwoods Inventors’ and Entrepreneur’s club.
Related Links:
Wisconsin Small Business Development Center (SBDC)
Wisconsin Department of Commerce
UW-Extension Center for Community and Economic Development
Natural Resources
Gile Flowage Survey Results PowerPoint Presentation(44 slides, 854 KB)
Related Links:
UW-Extension Basin Education Initiative
UW-Extension Environmental Resources Center
UW-Extension Water Resources Education
UW-Extension Center for Watershed Science and Education
Iron County Demographics
US Census Bureau – Iron County
Demographics and Data
Labor Force
Local Partners
Iron County Development Zone Council
City of Hurley
Hurley Chamber of Commerce
Mercer Chamber of Commerce
