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Country-bound boomers may enhance rural economy

Monica Babine, coordinator of e-work programs for the Center to Bridge the Digital Divide http://cbdd.wsu.edu/ for the Washington State University extension, who has developed affinity recruitment programs for rural communities, says those towns will miss the wave if they don’t begin planning.

“Instead of trying to focus on attracting some sort of industry, attract individuals,” she says. “Communities should work more closely with local tourism and recreation people, as well as realtors. Focus on people who had to move away for education or employment but might be open to moving back as boomers looking to retire but remain active.”

Jack Schultz, who literally wrote the book on economic success stories in rural America with his “Boomtown U.S.A. http://www.matr.net/click.php?id=&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.boomtowninstitute.com%2Fagurban.html ,” says some towns are already actively seeking to recruit the boomers.

Schultz, founder and CEO of Effingham, IL-based Agracel, Inc., an industrial development firm focused on rural America, and generally regarded as the national expert on economic development in rural areas, says “towns with natural resources like lakes and mountains, or a university” are going to be obvious beneficiaries.

That is, if they understand the opportunity and create the right campaigns to be among the winners among rural communities.

Mike Flynn

Full Story: http://www.emikeflynn.com/blog/390.html#post

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