The Northwest Minnesota Foundation (NMF) announced Wednesday that it has approved a $25,000 grant to support the Bemidji Leads! Project. The grant will go to the Joint Economic Development Commission, which together with the Headwaters Regional Development Commission, has organized a 15-month initiative to strategically position the community to compete in the future.

Three primary objectives are: (1) to forge agreement among a broad spectrum of the Bemidji Community on a bold, compelling strategic direction for the area; (2) to identify specific critical issues, strategic initiatives to address those issues, and to move toward that future, and; (3) to develop and nurture a broad-based leadership council for the area that can be effective at realizing the community strategic direction.

According to JEDC Executive Director Larry Young, one of the challenges of this project is to help the greater Bemidji community understand the paradigm shifts in the global economy, how those changes will impact the local economy in the future, and what could be done now to respond to those changes.

"Ultimately, the organizers hope that the Bemidji community will be able to decide what it wants to become and what it will take to get there," Young said.

Three cornerstones of long term community success will be used for assessment -- technology, quality of place, and knowledge and skills. The next step will be the formation of a steward council consisting of members of the JEDC board and other community leaders. This group will work throughout the community to share information and move discussion of the issues forward.

NMF President John Ostrem said that the next several years are a critical time for the greater Bemidji community. "Fundamental changes in technology and the economy, dramatic changes in demographics, and growth in the community all present major opportunities and challenges."

Ostrem went on to say, "we are supporting this project because it is well conceived and fits perfectly with the foundation's new 'Quality of Place' strategies. Our new strategies are designed to assist communities in creating a vision for the future, focusing on their unique assets, and then building on their strengths."

He added, "We are hopeful that this exciting effort by the Bemidji community will help it be better prepared for the future. We also think it can serve as an example for other communities in northwest Minnesota."