Episode #2: Who's Involved in Economic Development
Economic Development Deep Dive
Publish Date: September 2, 2026
Length: 1 minute, 52 seconds
Summary
Economic development is a team effort involving far more than just one department or organization. In the second Economic Development Deep Dive, we break down who’s involved in this work in Eau Claire, Wisconsin—from local, state, and federal government to business organizations, educational institutions, workforce partners, utilities, nonprofits, neighborhood groups, and philanthropic organizations.
Video Transcript
“Kendall here with another Economic Development Deep Dive, a video series where we break down what’s happening in Eau Claire and how it all works.
In this episode, we’re getting into: ‘Who’s involved in economic development?’
Economic development isn’t handled by just one organization. It’s a partnership between government, businesses, schools, utilities, nonprofits, and many other community organizations.
Government plays an important role at every level.
- The local government—which is where I work—helps with everything from planning and infrastructure to business support and permitting.
- The state government provides funding opportunities and business assistance communities all across Wisconsin.
- And the federal government helps fund major projects and economic development initiatives all across the entire country.
Many communities have public committees focused on economic development, like the City’s Redevelopment Authority, Loan Administration Board, and Business Improvement Districts.
And there are private organizations, like the Eau Claire Area Chamber of Commerce, that bring businesses and local government together to work on community initiatives.
Universities, technical colleges, and workforce organizations help prepare people for careers while connecting local businesses with the skilled workers they need.
And then there are neighborhood associations, philanthropic organizations, advocacy groups, and community foundations too, who all have different focus areas related to economic development in some way.
So, as you can see from this list, economic development is a team effort. Every organization plays a different part, offering their own unique perspectives and resources, but we’re all working toward the same goal. And that’s making Eau Claire a better place to live and work.”