Keeping Businesses and Communities Strong

Good Governance

A healthy, resilient, thriving community requires leadership and vision from its public officials. Communities throughout Michigan are saddled with legacies from the old economy and are under severe fiscal stress. The leaders within these communities are oftentimes interested in embracing a new economy approach but need tools and skills to manage their current fiscal situation and learn techniques to be more competitive in the future. MSU Extension’s good governance education and tribal government education provides legislators and community leaders with the fundamental skills needed to push their communities forward.

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Leadership

MSU Extension equips business and community leaders with the crucial learning, listening, facilitating and decision-making skills needed to ensure groups work effectively whether they are public, private or community organizations. Through intensive multi-day leadership programs such as Facilitative Leadership and the Great Lakes Leadership Academy or shorter classroom-based workshops such as Introduction to Effective Meetings or Communicating through Conflict, MSU Extension connects people to the leadership training they need.

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Tourism Development

Tourism is vital to Michigan’s economy and can serve as a key economic development strategy. MSU Extension tourism education identified tourism development opportunities, and educates community and business leaders how to leverage natural and cultural resources in ways that improve and establish a sustainable economy and identifies new strategies for sustaining unique places that attracts residents, entrepreneurs and visitors.

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Land Use & Placemaking

People are looking for thriving communities to live, work and play. MSU Extension teaches local and elected officials how individual jurisdictions and choices fit into a regional context, and the fundamentals of local government, including the basics of governance, finance, planning zoning and placemaking. Participants in programming learn the fundamentals of sustainable community design and how to provide high-quality management, oversight and stewardship of taxpayer dollars.

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