By LINDA MCCARTHY
This week the local government reporter from the daily newspaper claimed on the front page (above the fold) that the city of Missoula was not well represented at the Montana Economic Summit, held in Butte, Mont., Sept. 16-17. Nothing could be further from the truth, based upon my observations from the crowd.
The Garden City was extremely well represented with more than 100 Missoulians in attendance at the Summit, which drew an estimated 4,000 folks from across the state to discuss business development in Montana.
The event was orchestrated well. Hotel rooms were sold old. School at Montana Tech was cancelled to free up the HPER Gymnasium, the student commons building and at least 14 classrooms, many of which were entirely too small to accommodate the throngs of people trying to get in the door.
The Summit featured almost 40 break-out sessions with multiple speakers and panels, many who came from organizations in Missoula. Folks like Tom Swanson, Bank of Montana; David Glaser, Montana Community Development Corporation, Bjorn Nabozney and Neal Leathers of Big Sky Brewing Company; and Elke Govertsen of Mamalode Magazine, spoke of inspiration and innovation, successes and failures of building their business.
Media all across the country covered the keynote speakers, all who came to Butte at the request of Montana Senator Max Baucus. Of course there were lots of comments (i.e. coverage) about the federal tax overhaul and the lobbying if you will for business-friendly modification, but there was also conversation about how many of the keynotes have good relationships with Senator Baucus. Eleven different CEOs, COOs, and CFOs came to Montana to share stories about what’s happening with their companies, both internally and externally.
In a nutshell, economic develop happens because of relationships. We cannot succeed alone; we must have connections, consumers, investors, employees and so much more to create a vibrant economic environment.
I was proud to see Missoula leaders join in the conversation at this valuable statewide event focused on building a better economy so our children can raise their children in the great state of Montana. After all, that’s the goal: job creation and wealth creation so we can have this exceptional quality of life.
Our community of Missoula is out there building relationships and doing business deals that will lead to investment and job creation. Here is a sampling of folks who were presenting or whom I saw at the Summit: (SEE ADDITIONS IN BLUE)
- Alex Philp, GCS Research
- Arnie Sherman, Montana World Trade Center
- Barb Neilan, Destination Missoula
- Barry Good, Missoula College
- Bill Johnston, The University of Montana
- Bjorn Nabozney, Big Sky Brewing
- Brent Campbell, WGM Group
- Brian Ellestad, Missoula Airport
- Brigitta Freer, Missoula Economic Partnership
- Caitlin Copple Missoula City Council
- Cameron Lawrence, The University of Montana
- Cate Sundeen, Missoula Children’s Theatre
- Chad DeLong, Sustainable Efficiency
- Chris Behan, Missoula Redevelopment Agency
- Chris Schrichte TeraDact Solutions
- Cinda Holt, Montana Arts Council
- Colleen Rudio, Rudio Performance Group
- Cris Jensen, Missoula Airport
- Cynthia Fritch, D.A. Davidson
- Dan Cripe, ATG Consulting
- Dave & Krista Pyron, Taylor’d Favors
- Dave McKay, McKay Design & Oracle
- David Glaser, MCDC
- Dawn McGee, Goodworks Ventures
- Dean McCollom, Candidate for Mayor of Missoula
- Dean McGovern, Montana Campus Compact
- Dennis Toussaint, Payne West
- Diane Beck, Windermere
- Dick King, Triple Divide Consulting
- Dori Geils, Mamalode, Magazine
- Ed & Leslie Wetherbee, Old Sawmill District
- Elke Govertsen, Mamalode Magazine
- Ellen Buchanan, Missoula Redevelopment Agency
- Fran Albrecht, Watson Children’s Shelter
- Gary Funke, Wood for Haiti
- Heather Schmidt, Missoula Co. Public Schools
- Heidi D’Arment, MCDC
- Jack Manning, Dorsey Whitney
- Jakki Mohr, University of Montana
- James Stephens, Blue Marble Biomaterials
- Jeff Fee, Providence Health Center
- Jenna Cederberg, Missoulian
- Jennifer Shryock, Rainmaker Resumes
- Jenny Mueller, Missoula Downtown Association
- Jerry & Shannon Furniss, The University of Montana
- Jill Valley, KPAX-TV
- Jim McLeod, Farran Group
- Jim Wingard, Legal Atlas
- Joe Fanguy, The University of Montana
- Joel Block, Blackfoot Telecommunications
- Kevin Davis, Big Sky Commerce
- Kim Latrielle, Missoula Chamber
- Kim Luthgaart, Trippons Missoula
- Kim Melchert McKearnan, Community Medical Center
- Larry Gianchetta, The University of Montana
- Lisa Triepke, CostCare
- Lorin Peterson, Windermere
- Maria Pascual Carnicero, Legal Atlas
- Mario Schulzke, The University of Montana
- Matt Schmidt, Beaudette Consulting Engineers
- Melanie Brock, Missoula Economic Partnership
- Michael Fitzgerald, Submittable
- Michael Knauf, Rivertop Renewable
- Mike Halligan, Washington Foundation
- Mike Harrington, The University of Montana
- Mike Kadas, MT Dept. Revenue
- Mike McGowan, DCM Limited
- Molly Bradford, MissoulaEvents.net
- Neal Leathers, Big Sky Brewing
- Naomi Lichtenberg, Missoula Children’s Theatre
- Nathan Stephens, Groundswell Media Productions
- Pat Corrick, Farran Group
- Patti Ekness, Fed Ex
- Paul Donaldson, RMR Productions
- Paul Gladen, Muzeview
- Perry Brown, The University of Montana
- Racene Friede, Glacier Country Tourism
- Ross Peterson, Peterson Web Development
- Royce Engstrom, The University of Montana
- Scott Billadeau, Liquid Planet
- Scott Burke, First Security Bank
- Stacey Mueller, First Interstate Bank
- Steve McArthur, McArthur Consulting
- Sue LaRue, First Interstate Bank
- Suzanne Elfstrom, Partners Creative
- Terri Elander, Missoula Children’s Theatre
- Tia Troy, Glacier Country Tourism
- Tom Gallagher, Missoula College
- Tom Swenson, Bank of Montana
- Tracy Worley, Selkirk Coaching and Training Group
- Wolfgang Ametsbichler, Missoula Job Service
Truthfully, what I love about this list of folks I encountered is that almost all of them are engaged on some level with the Missoula Downtown Association, and many of them have created their own businesses in our market. The theme of the Economic Summit was truly focused on entrepreneurship, and that typically originates from the private sector. I am proud to say both our private sector and public sector were well represented, despite what one local reporter construed. Thank you, Missoula leaders, for your presence and engagement. I believe good things are on the rise for the Garden City.
Is your name not on this list? Drop us a facebook comment and let us know if you attended the Summit and we’ll add you to our list.
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Linda McCarthy has been a Missoula resident for more than 25 years and serves as Executive Director of the Missoula Downtown Association, a private non-profit, membership-based organization dedicated to promoting, supporting and enhancing the vitality of Downtown Missoula. She and her family live in the Farviews Neighborhood, and her husband, Tom Gallagher, is a computer science professor at UM’s Missoula College. Linda holds two degrees from The University of Montana and was the 2008 Montana Alumni of the Year.
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