People: our most important asset

People make communities. At Incourage, we believe human capital is our greatest asset and that positive community change happens through individuals realizing their full potential, recognizing their interdependence with one another and engaging in honest, respectful dialogue about our shared future. Individuals who are willing to reflect, learn and grow, start important conversations, and build relationships are the real change agents.    

It is particularly heartening to see young adults who care about this place.  Young adults who are making positive change happen. 

Although I could give you many examples, today I will share just one that recently inspired me:

In his blog posted December 1, former resident Jonathon Engelien penned an authentic and heartfelt expression of his connection to Wisconsin Rapids. In his words, “You’re so much more than an aged paper mill town. You’re a place where real people develop lives and experiences … I want to care about you, I do care about you, and I want other people to feel the same way.” 


Not only did Jonathon grow up here, he is also one of seven artists selected to work on permanent art installations for the renovated Tribune Building through the ArtPlace America grant Incourage received in 2014. This initial blog post officially kicked off Jonathon’s artistic process to engage the community in how it views and identifies with the south Wood County area, in positive, neutral or negative ways.

His blog struck a chord with more than 2,800 readers, prompting an online response and dialogue. This kind of open, honest communication is helping us talk about our past and future; our individual and shared experiences; and our challenges and opportunities. People care. It is that deep compassion for one another and commitment to this place that brings forth positive community change. 

Celebrating our assets, understanding our journey and working together to realize a shared vision of the future are all elements of Jonathon’s story.  It is his story, though.  Each of us has a story and an experience. 

Take a few minutes to read Jonathon’s blog, read the comments and join the conversation. 

Kelly

Tribune: Our Community Accelerator

This morning, residents have once again demonstrated support, pride, and a sense of ownership and appreciation for local assets, as evidenced by the strong turnout at today’s announcement by Lieutenant Governor Rebecca Kleefisch of the $472,000 grant for the Tribune from the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC). This important grant and the partnerships it represents accelerates our efforts and will leverage key investments from other philanthropic, private, and public resources. On behalf of Incourage’s board, staff, volunteers – and the over 800 residents involved in the Tribune to date – I extend our appreciation to the City of Wisconsin Rapids, including Mayor Vruwink, Common Council members and staff, and the State of Wisconsin/WEDC for their support and partnership.

left to right: Jason Scott, WEDC; Naletta Burr, WEDC; Wisconsin Lieutenant Governor
Rebecca Kleefisch; Kelly Ryan, Incourage; and Mayor Zach Vruwink, City of Wisconsin Rapids

The turnout this morning represents the most recent and relevant example of the growing movement underway in our community, displaying the sense of community, pride, and appreciation for local assets that were also evident during our 4th annual community picnic. On August 5, more than 5,000 members of the community came together in front of the historic Tribune building to celebrate our region and its residents by participating in a community picnic. The picnic’s remarkable attendance by residents of all ages demonstrates our commitment to and recognition of what the Tribune represents: Our increasing sense of shared ownership, responsibility to each other and commitment to place. 

Wisconsin Lieutenant Governor Rebecca Kleefisch
and Kelly Ryan, Incourage

As many of you know, over 800 residents have invested 5,500+ hours in planning the Tribune’s physical layout and functions, as well as championing and advocating for its LEED-certified “green” environmental design. The term we use to describe this unique enterprise is “community accelerator.”  

What does that mean?  

The Tribune will accelerate economic growth, impact, and value, promoting connections among individuals and institutions. It will provide economic value in the form of training for entrepreneurs and support services to capitalize on our local food and agricultural assets. Training offered through the Tribune will incorporate Incourage’s learning from six years of investing in workforce development, accelerating best practices and lessons learned with new and emerging entrepreneurs and small businesses in our area.  

The Tribune will accelerate our understanding of environmental sustainability and its connection to future economic prosperity. Nearly $4 million of renovation investment will support the Tribune’s status as the first LEED Gold Certified building in the community. It will serve as a demonstration and learning lab for current and future generations.

The Tribune will accelerate additional development in the immediate surrounding area and south Wood County region, as demonstrated by recent real estate transactions involving downtown commercial properties on both sides of the river. 

The Tribune will accelerate learning and connections among individuals and institutions. Residents are framing our community’s future, and not just inside the building’s walls. Incourage staff continue to facilitate ongoing meetings of over 200 people engaged in Tribune interest groups – with focus areas spanning the local food system to downtown development. Incourage itself is learning and documenting our experience with the Tribune – of particular note related to today’s WEDC announcement is how to leverage complex financing and investment strategies and partnerships previously not deployed in this area, such as New Markets Tax Credits. Understanding and executing innovative approaches to successful community development is vital to our collective future.  Incourage will share lessons learned with local institutions in order to accelerate best and emerging practices in community development throughout our region. 

Ultimately, the Tribune will accelerate creativity, new thinking, narrative and the ability to take risks and “fail forward” - essential attributes of a community that is open to change and new thinking in its approach to shaping a strong and inclusive local economy. We are building on a heritage of innovation, vision, commitment and perseverance in our community, and, together, we are accelerating positive community change.

Kelly

Balance, transparency and equity: keys to sustainable development

I’ve been thinking about our community’s historical and current approach to economic development in light of recent attention to downtown Wisconsin Rapids.  So much has changed in the last 20 years - yet many of the challenges remain the same. 

In June 1996, our local newspaper printed an editorial entitled Common Vision is a Key to Progress Here, in which editors expanded on a resident’s earlier call for a community vision, common agenda and people working together. Editors commented on the need for collaboration and common vision for downtown development:

“Every community needs dreamers and thinkers – people of vision who can see what exists, offer suggestions for the future, and then chart a course for action. Sometimes, those people are governmental officials. Sometimes, they’re administrators or staff people who do planning as part of their jobs. But regular citizens can have the gift of this sort of ‘vision,’ too.”

In explaining the success of a community development initiative by SWC2000 to build athletic facilities, the editorial went on to share:

“…organizers realized that individually, it would be difficult to raise the money and get the work accomplished… But when they pooled their efforts, great things could happen.”

Further, “People knew the plan and were more likely to support it.”

The structure and underpinnings of our local economy have changed since the above referenced editorial was published 20 years ago – yet we are still today calling for common vision and collaboration in downtown Wisconsin Rapids. 

We are no longer the home to a Fortune 500 paper company, nor are we a ‘one industry or company town’. It’s past time to adapt our thinking and our approaches.  We have to learn from our history– experiment, take risks and try new things. Dust off the innovation that created and grew the industries that built this area – early pioneers were innovators and had to work together to make things happen.  Incourage is committed to experimenting, taking risks, trying new things and working together to realize our vision of a community that works well for all people. 

Today, the Tribune stands as an example of a new approach and demonstration that people do support known plans. Further, as the residents who’ve contributed to the process of determining the Tribune’s future continue to demonstrate – when people are involved in creating the plan, there is even greater support for its implementation and sustainability. 

And while the residents’ design for the Tribune is wholly unique, what is also noteworthy is its alignment with the City’s three Downtown Development plans (1996, 2007, and 2009).

The 2007 Downtown Revitalization Plan indicates the need for a “showcase” redevelopment project, and highlights the Tribune and surrounding property (Market Square) as a priority development area. The building is further described as a good candidate for reuse as a community-oriented space. The plan also confirms a need for downtown open space for festivals, activities and recreation, as well as programming that provides opportunities for day trip activities for families.

The 2009 Downtown Waterfront Plan builds on the articulated priorities of the 2007 Plan, focusing on enhancements to pedestrian connectivity, walkability, and visual appeal of the downtown area. It also reaffirms the opportunity for the Tribune property to be redeveloped as a central gathering space for the City.

I guess it could be said that this catalytic, forward-thinking project is 20 years in the making.

As a physical entity, the Tribune represents the very best in property reuse and redevelopment: the USDA recently recognized this with a grant award to Incourage to share the learning from our work on adaptive reuse of existing space with other local organizations. Rather than demolishing and building new, or worse, leaving the space vacant and susceptible to vandalism and other safety hazards, the Tribune is embracing the neighboring green spaces, pedestrian and bike trails, and deploying innovative, sustainable resident-informed programmatic uses and designs that celebrate our downtown’s greatest natural asset – the Wisconsin River.

The instructive question for all of us as we look at the broader downtown area, I believe, is “How do we achieve a balanced approach to community development that is inclusive and transparent?”  Balance takes into account the perspectives and interests of all stakeholders: private investors, public entities, resident/user input and philanthropic support.  The best outcomes are those that achieve a collective ‘common good’ vision that balance varied interests and create the conditions for all to participate and prosper.

I believe we can achieve those types of outcomes here with transparency, inclusive processes, relationships built on trust, principled leadership that is willing to forge ahead to achieve a common vision, and an unwavering belief that every person in this community matters. 

We owe it to our children and future generations to not have this blog held up 20 years from now as an example of missed opportunity to work collectively toward a common vision.      

Kelly