2007 Officers q

Bonnie Peterson, President

Juneau County Economic Development Corporation

Dennis Deery, Vice President

Irish Rose Consulting

Kathy Schmitt, Secretary/Treasurer

Wisconsin Dept of Agriculture, Trade & Consumer Protection

Ricky Rolfsmeyer, Immediate Past President

Wisconsin Rural Challenge, Inc.

Directors q

Mark Brodziski, USDA Rural Development

Connie Loden, Heart of Wisconsin Business & Economic Alliance

Gary Green, UW-Extension Center for Community Economic Development

Arlene Scalzo, Wisconsin Housing & Economic Development Authority

Bill Wheeler, Tri-Country Regional Economic Development Corporation

Gary Becker, Vierbicher Associates, Inc.

Kelly Haverkampf, Executive Director q

Wisconsin Rural Partners, Inc.

P.O. Box 257 Lodi, WI 53555

608.237.6367 q www.wirural.org

FOR RELEASE: June 17, 2007

Contact: Kelly Haverkampf, 608-770-2913

Mineral Point and Reedsburg take Top Rural Development Initiative honors at International Conference

Appleton - Wisconsin Rural Partners, Inc. today awarded the Top Rural Development Initiatives for 2007 at a ceremony in the Radisson Paper Valley Hotel, Appleton. The awards were presented by Wisconsin Rural Partners president Bonnie Peterson during a reception held in conjunction with the international Community Development Society and National Rural Development Partnership joint conference that is taking place here from Sunday through Wednesday. Award winners were able to network with community leaders from throughout the world who are attending the conference.

The two initiatives receiving Top Initiative rankings are a “Buy Local” initiative started by the Mineral Point Chamber of Commerce Agriculture and Rural Life Committee in partnership with three local student groups; and the Reedsburg Utility Commission’s creation of a municipal communications utility that provides high speed voice, video and data service to local businesses and residences. Complete descriptions of the 2007 Top Rural Development Initiatives and local contacts are attached.

This is the ninth year that Wisconsin Rural Partners has recognized Wisconsin=s Top Rural Development Initiatives. The program is designed to identify, highlight, and share innovative models, practices and programs that have a positive impact on rural Wisconsin communities. Wisconsin Rural Partners created the program to provide a mechanism for rural communities to learn from each other. Wisconsin Rural Partners maintains an online database of all the past initiatives at www.wirural.org.

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