By Dave Fidlin
Correspondent
The City of Whitewater might straddle two counties, but the leader of a Jefferson County-based economic development organization said the community plays an important role in the future of the region.
Genevieve Coady, director of the Jefferson County Economic Development Consortium (JCEDC) came before the Common Council on March 15 and discussed several issues, including a freshened five-year plan that involves Whitewater.
The county is experiencing a few setbacks, Coady noted, including the imminent closure of Tyson Foods’ century-old facility in the City of Jefferson. Some of the company’s workforce includes Whitewater residents.
But Coady said JCEDC is sharpening its focus in the years ahead with a renewed emphasis on such efforts as revolving loan programs, repurposing blighted brownfield sites and exploring how the county as a whole can maximize business attraction and retention efforts.
“Economic development is a very competitive field,” Coady said, pointing out the importance of strategizing new ways of approaching the issue.
To that end, Coady said plans are in motion to bring local governments, including the City of Whitewater, into the fold more often and provide robust opportunities to liaise with current and prospective business owners.
Coady said she also would like to make more strides in drawing upon Jefferson County’s strengths.
“There are some common themes,” Coady said of the communities dotting the county. “We have great downtowns and provide an excellent quality of life. In some ways, we’re all in this together.”
JCEDC has an 11-member board of directors, including a Whitewater representative. Eight communities have representation on the board.
Patrick Cannon, chair of the Whitewater Community Development Authority (CDA), said JCEDC has an all-inclusive approach to the city, even though portions of it are in Walworth County.
“They look at us as a whole, rather than splitting us in half,” Cannon said.
