The colored map shows the different regions in the “6 Regions, One Nebraska” initiative, which encourages a regional approach to economic development. Organizers see pooling resources and ideas across the region as a way to attract more workers and grow economies. The Metropolitan Community College region held its first meeting in Omaha on Wednesday, meaning all six regions are now operational. (Courtesy of the Nebraska Department of Economic Development)
OMAHA — Armed with an initial $3 million in state funding, Nebraska has now fully launched a new regional approach to economic development that organizers hope will accelerate growth and strengthen the state’s competitive position.
On Wednesday, the last of the six regional teams held an opening meeting in Omaha and began planning for a major project for the largely urban, four-county area in and around Nebraska’s largest city.
KC Belitz, director of the Nebraska Department of Economic Development, called it the “big shot”: a unique initiative designed to take shape based on regional needs, aimed at attracting young professionals and stimulating the local economy.
Organizers expect at least another $3 million in private investment to help communities implement seed projects, ranging from public facilities to youth-focused projects to affordable housing.
‘Night and day’ different
The state’s other five regional teams have already held their respective introductory meetings over the past three months for what is being called the three-year “6 Regions, One Nebraska” initiative.
Belitz said the longer-term goal is to create a culture where neighboring communities combine assets, energy and ideas to meet the challenges of an economic development era that he said is “night and day” different from that of 20 years ago.
“It’s time to think about this work regionally,” he said.
Financial incentive
The initial $3 million investment from the state, supplemented by private funds, will provide a financial incentive to each of the six regions to set up a regional project in one of the following areas: citizen recruitment; youth engagement; entrepreneurship; technology; infrastructure, a selected regional project.
Each of the six regional teams is centered around one of the state’s community college districts and is led by a paid “navigator” who works with the co-chairs to organize meetings of community partners.
While each region is tasked with strengthening its own area, the end result should be a stronger Nebraska, said Dana Bradford, co-chair of the Omaha region who works at Metro Community College.
“There are 50 states all competing to retain and recruit people,” said Bradford, CEO of C3 Brands. “It’s about competing outside of Nebraska.”
Organizers say the focus is on the urgency of addressing shortages, including the 50,000 to 80,000 unfilled jobs in Nebraska and the shortage of affordable housing and child care.
Alarming inequality
On Wednesday, about 100 people from business, education, nonprofits and other sectors of the Metropolitan Community College region in Douglas, Sarpy, Washington and Dodge counties gathered for the first time.
Fremont Mayor Joey Spellerberg leads the region with Bradford. They were joined by speakers including Metropolitan Community College President Randy Schmailzl and Nebraska Chamber of Commerce & Industry President Bryan Slone during the day session, held at Metro’s Fort Omaha campus.
Josie Schafer, a data expert who directs the Center for Public Affairs Research at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, provided a statistical overview of demographic, income, education, labor force, housing and other trends in the region.
For example, data-driven graphs reinforced the shortage of accredited childcare organizations, which can be a barrier to recruiting staff.
The MCC region actually outperforms others in the state, with 68,196 spots for 69,077 children under 6. That compares with 6,302 spots for 12,219 preschoolers in the Northeast region and 3,017 spots for 6,254 children in the Mid-Plains district.
“We need places. I need choices. We don’t even have enough in the metro area,” Schafer said.
Bradford was particularly shocked by a chart showing that the median household income in North and South Omaha was well below the average for the rest of Douglas County ($35,711 for North and $42,487 for South, compared to $83,651 for the rest of the county).
“That defines the problem for me,” he said. “Ultimately, we have to grow wages and jobs. There’s no way we win if North Omaha, South Omaha or rural communities” have such disparate incomes.
ARPA funds launch initiative
The DED and the Nebraska Chamber are overseeing the 6 Regions, One Nebraska effort, which was funded with $3 million in seed money from American Rescue Plan Act funding. Gov. Jim Pillen, who requested the appropriation from the Legislature, will meet with each region’s work team twice a year.
“Ultimately, we have to grow wages and jobs. There’s no way we’re going to win if North Omaha, South Omaha or rural communities” have such disparate incomes.
– Dana Bradford, Regional Team Co-Chair, Metropolitan Community College
Slone said in an interview that the initiative builds on Blueprint Nebraska, a sweeping 2018-19 statewide planning program that laid out strategies to grow the state’s population and economy.
He said the blueprint still stands, but implementing strategies is difficult, in part because of the varying circumstances in cities across the state. He sees greater success with a regional approach.
“It’s about the execution, the how,” Slone said.
One example of what a region could do better than a single city, he said, is building housing. With a shortage of available contractors in rural areas, Slone said, a cluster of communities could pool resources and guarantee ongoing work, making it more attractive for a contractor to bring a crew into town.
“It’s about size and scale,” Slone said.
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