Description

The Greater Wausau Chamber of Commerce and the Greater Wausau Prosperity Partnership invite you to the 2022 Greater Wausau - Economic Development Summit on Thursday, October 20, 2022 at the Sundance Chalet at Granite Peak Ski Area. Your presence is requested to join us for this important event featuring keynote presentations from Jon Roberts, Principal/Managing Partner, with Tip Strategies and Dennis Winters, Chief Economist, Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development. 

KEYNOTE SPEAKER Jon Roberts, Principal/Managing Partner Tip Strategies

About Jon Roberts:

Jon has been a principal and managing partner at TIP Strategies since 2000. He helped transition the company from its Texas-based site selection practice to a national strategy firm. His portfolio includes planning work from New York to California, with significant regional projects in the Mississippi Delta, Seattle’s Puget Sound, and in the Great Lakes area. Prior to joining TIP, Jon was the director of business development, first for the State of Washington and then under Governor Ann Richards, for the State of Texas. During the transition to Governor Bush’s tenure, he helped restructure the state’s economic development organization and then co-authored the new strategic plan for the State of Texas.

Jon also has deep ties to the Pacific Northwest. He was vice-president of the Oregon Technology Fund and was the lead investor for the Hood River Brewing Company (Full Sail), which continues to hold a prominent place in the craft brewing industry. He also managed two start-up technology companies: Fiberlite Composites and LifePort Inc. (subsequently acquired by Sikorsky) and has served on the boards of start-up companies.

Jon has served on various state task forces and gubernatorial committees. He has lectured in business at the University of Washington, the University of Texas, and was on the faculty at Marylhurst College in Portland, Oregon. Jon was also the founder of a mountain bike company in Portland, Oregon: the Fat Tire Farm, which now operates multiple retail outlets. Born and raised in Germany, he has traveled extensively throughout Europe and Asia. He received his BA and MA degrees from the University of Hawaii and did post-graduate work at the University of Oregon.  He resides in Austin but spends his summers in Bend, Oregon.

KEYNOTE SPEAKER Dennis Winters, Chief Economist,  Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development

About Dennis Winters:

Mr. Winters is a nationally recognized expert on human resource challenges in the competitive global economic environment.  Mr. Winters has presented on the increasing value of talent to numerous audiences, including the Milken Global Conference, the Society of Business Editors and Writers, the National Association of State Legislators, and the Council of Chief State School Officers.

Mr. Winters has expertise in economic analysis, modeling and forecasting; encompassing everything from designing commodity derivative strategies to long-term policy initiative scenario assessments. Mr. Winters' areas of focus include regional and national macroeconomics, energy and labor markets, and economic impact analysis.

He has served as an advisor to private industry, government agencies, and elected federal, state, and local officials. Mr. Winters has testified before governmental investigative bodies and appeared in television and radio interviews and been quoted in the national press such as the Wall Street Journal, Investors Daily, USA Today, the Christian Science Monitor, the Journal of Commerce, and the Swedish equivalent of Business Week, as well as many local newspapers.

Dennis Winters’ current titles are Chief Economist, Director of the Bureau of Workforce Information and Technical Support, and Labor Market Information Director for the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development.

Summit Overview:

The economic state of affairs is shifting in a post pandemic world. Businesses are viewing opportunities differently as they face supply chain issues, inflation, generations-long workforce and talent shortages, cost of energy, and other challenges. Further, people in the workforce, in general, have adopted new perspectives as to the use of their time and talents. Today, many can leverage technology to work remotely in communities (places) where they choose to or have determined to make shifts in their careers.

In Wisconsin, the demographic challenge is a significant economic threat. Wisconsinites must address this challenge collectively. The projected adverse demographic shift holds negative impacts for the state’s fiscal position and its ability to support the public good, i.e, K16 education, infrastructure, environmental concerns, etc. If we are not growing and retaining people in Wisconsin to support the demands of business and industry, we simply will not compete.

Today, communities throughout the United States are at the heart of economic development competition. For communities, like Wausau, to compete effectively to retain and attract talented people and companies, they must build vibrant and thriving communities which offer an array of quality-of-life amenities (arts & culture, health and wellness services, outdoor recreation, education, downtown vibrancy, varied housing opportunities, adequate and affordable childcare). Efforts to build and sustain a competitive community must be strategic to prioritize and align resources.

The challenges facing the State of Wisconsin, communities like Wausau, and business and industry are extremely complex. Not one community or organization will be equipped to address the long-term problems. It will require strong leading organizations (GWCC & GWPP) to gather diverse state and community stakeholders to identify, prioritize, and to support a cogent, well thought out strategic approach to build a competitive community in the 21st century.

Media Release:   The Greater Wausau Chamber of Commerce reserves the right to use any photographs or video taken at any meeting, program or event sponsored by the Chamber, without the expressed written permission of those included within the photographs or video. The Greater Wausau Chamber of Commerce may use the photographs or video in publications or other marketing materials produced, used or contracted by the Chamber.