Breakfast + Networking from 7–7:30 am. Program starts promptly at 7:30 am in the Lake Superior Ballroom at the DECC.
Featured Topic: Economics of the Region’s Water Resources
Keynote Speaker: Stephan Polasky is a Regents Professor and the Fesler-Lampert Professor of Ecological/Environmental Economics at the University of Minnesota where he has a joint appointment in the Department of Applied Economics and the Department of Ecology, Evolution & Behavior. He is also a fellow of the University’s Institute on the Environment. His research interests focus on issues at the intersection of ecology and economics and include the impacts of land use and land management on the provision and value of ecosystem services and natural capital, biodiversity conservation, sustainability, environmental regulation, renewable energy, and common property resources.
The REIF Region is a 15-county area that covers Northeast Minnesota and Northwest Wisconsin. The eight counties of Minnesota include the Arrowhead Region — Aitkin, Carlton, Cook, Itasca, Koochiching, Lake and St. Louis counties — along with Pine County. The seven counties of Wisconsin include Ashland, Bayfield, Burnett, Douglas, Iron, Sawyer and Washburn. For more information, visit the Regional Economic Indicators Forum webpage.
The REIF is made possible through the generous support of the National Bank of Commerce and governed by a steering and advisory committee comprised of representative(s) from:
- National Bank of Commerce
- College of St. Scholastica
- Small Business Development Center of Minnesota
- Small Business Development Center of Wisconsin
- University of Minnesota, Duluth
- University of Wisconsin, Superior
Resources such as APEX (Area Partnership for Economic Expansion), Business North and the Development Association of Superior-Douglas County are utilized as needed.