Blandin Foundation doesn’t have much experience as a grant applicant; we are more often on the other side of the grant making equation. But today we are savoring the news of our successful BTOP grant and the opportunity to bring a network of resources and support to rural Minnesota through an initiative we have dubbed “MIRC” – Minnesota Intelligent Rural Communities.
With this glad news in hand, Friday afternoon Blandin Foundation project staff Ann Treacy, Bill Coleman and I met with Teresa Kittridge, Executive Director of Minnesota Renewable Energy Marketplace. MNREM is one of MIRC’s 19 project partners. MNREM’s focus on the retention, creation, and attraction of an educated and skilled workforce to its 36 county region of South Central, Southwest and West Central Minnesota is well aligned with MIRC’s goal of helping create technologically and economically vital rural communities through sustainable broadband adoption.
Like many entrepreneurial organizations today, MNREM is a “virtual” operation. Teresa explained that while MNREM’s official address is in Marshall, she lives in “suburban Waconia” and spends much of her time on the road. “I basically office out of my car,” she said with a smile.
Before today’s visit, my communication with Teresa had been strictly virtual as well; we had never met face-to-face. So it was really a treat to have the time for a leisurely real-time conversation over coffee about our aspirations for this shared work.
Teresa has a background in both the public and private sectors, including as an officer of the Minnesota House of Representatives, president of two publishing companies, and chair of her local school board. She has rural roots and loves the rural region she serves. I liked her right away.
Teresa explained that with the help of a soon-to-expire US Department of Labor grant, MNREM is supporting projects in a wide range of renewable energy fields including wind, biomass, biofuels, ethanol, solar, advanced manufacturing, energy-efficient mechanical systems, bioscience and mechatronics. “What’s mechatronics?” I wondered, and later visited their website to find out. At www.mnrem.org I also learned that Minnesota’s renewable energy sector today includes over 22,500 firms employing over 310,000 people in MNREM’s region alone.
Funding through MIRC will help strengthen MNREM’s capacity to transform its primarily agriculture-dependent region to a knowledge and innovation-based economy that capitalizes on the potential of renewable energy for a sustainable and prosperous future. Under Teresa’s leadership, MNREM’s role in our MIRC coalition will include outreach, assessment, technical assistance and training for renewable energy businesses.
Next week Bill and Ann and University of Crookston’s Jack Geller (who will help with MIRC evaluation and monitoring) and I will be meeting with other new MIRC partners to continue our getting-to-know-you better tour. The first major step in our project launch will be an initial partners’ meeting in Grand Rapids on May 11-12.
