10/24/2019- Menominee County’s new Economic Development Committee convened for the first time this week. County Administrator Jason Carviou proposed forming the group earlier this year to facilitate discussion among county officials and between the county and other organizations about how to promote not only economic development in the county, but also related community and workforce development. Carviou says it’s a top-down approach to taking on the sorts of challenges standing in the way of growth.
“What I envision the purpose of this committee and the county’s overall purpose being in economic development is to be the salesperson for Menominee County. Really selling the county as ‘this is a place that is good for companies to come and invest in,’ and from there, once we get that part of it down, we can start passing it off to the individual cities and townships because that’s where the programs start coming in; that’s where the incentives start coming in.”
While the County will focus on initiatives they can control like the establishment of a land bank and Brownfield Authority to increase housing and other real estate development opportunities, and updating the County’s website and slogan, Carviou says the new committee will also need to bring to the table those who have the means to create change in other areas the County may not have as much direct influence in, like collaboration between local schools and industries to prepare students to fill the jobs available here.
“The workers coming out of high school, or even if they’re going to trade schools, they’re coming out, but they don’t have the right skills to work in the industries that we have. We need to get the businesses to talk with the education sector about what they need- the skills for their employees coming out of high school or college- to do the jobs that they available for them.” 
The new Economic Development Committee is comprised of three county board members, the County Administrator and Treasurer, as well as the Executive Director of the Menominee Business Development Corporation. The committee is planning to meet again December 3rd.