Economic Development

The Southwest Michigan Planning Commission is federally designated Economic Development District (EDD), serving Berrien, Cass and Van Buren Counties. One of our main functions as an EDD includes preparing an annual Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) update, with full revisions every three years.  Check out the CEDS for a current regional profile, a listing of 2009 application for federal funding, and a set of Goals and Objectives to guide the SWMPC and its member organizations toward comprehensive economic development strategies through 2010 and beyond.

 

The SWMPC’s 2010 Economic Development Initiatives include:

 

• Selection of approximately ten distinct performance measures (two per CEDS Action Plan category, see Chapter 3) for the regional economy
• Development of a regional economic development entity focused on collaboration, education and dialog (360 Group); interface between this group and the CEDS process;
• Case studies discussing and promoting regional initiatives addressing each CEDS Action Plan category (see Chapter 3);
• A close look at the system of economic development within the region addressing the number of individual economic development entities and the prevalence of overlapping services, incorporating an exploration of regional Social Asset Mapping;
• Strengthening of the relationship between the SWMPC, the CEDS, and EDA project funding, including the development of specific criteria, incorporating a project’s relevance to regional economic health, to rank projects seeking EDA funding;
• Strengthening of the relationship between the SWMPC, the CEDS, and non-EDA funding & support.

 

Current Projects the SWMPC is working on to address the 2009 CEDS goals and objectives, and other economic development goals within the region are:

 

• Venture Quest 2010 Business Plan Competition
• Incorporating Public Comments into the 2009-2012 CEDS
• Improving the Funding Opportunities page
• Exploring the possibility of community/economic development Social Asset Mapping
• Updating our system of publishing regional applications for federal funding
• Regularly onvening a group - the 360 group - as a forum for sharing issues related to regionla economic health and building on the 2008 and 2009 CEDS efforts. March 1, 2010 meeting information here.

 

We’d appreciate your input on any of these project and initiatives. Please contact Elizabeth Luther by email (luthere@swmpc.org), phone (269-925-1137 ex 13), or call to schedule a meeting.