Summer in Door County is finally here! We welcome our seasonal residents and visitors back to the peninsula as we continue to grow our existing businesses and encourage entrepreneurship in Door County. A busy spring at DCEDC saw not only our annual investors meeting, but also our biennial trip to Madison to deliver our legislative agenda to lawmakers and state agencies.

Over 200 community, political and business leaders attended the DCEDC annual investors meeting on Tuesday, April 24, at the Stone Harbor Resort and Conference Center in Sturgeon Bay. Keynote speaker Jim Flanigan, Jr. presented the inspiring story of his rise from local athletics to the National Football League and private business. Marine Travelift/ExecTech were named as the Door County Industry of the Year, and Greg and Marsha Meissner, owners of Meissner Landscape, Inc., received the Entrepreneurs of the Year Award.

The Door County Economic Development Corporation 2006 Annual Report to investors is now available on our website. The report, which was released during the DCEDC annual investors meeting, presents a look at the accomplishments of the organization over the past year.

Organizers of the 2007 Door County Legislative Days event recently called the May 8-9 trip to Madison a very successful initiative. For the third time in the last five years, issues of importance to Door County were effectively and expertly delivered to state legislators, members of the Governor's administration and various state agencies. Credit for the success of the Door County Legislative Days program goes equally to the steering committee, event sponsors and the more than 90 Door County volunteer delegates who made the trip to Madison.

Door County Legislative Days is a long-term initiative, but enjoyed immediate results again this year, with the state Department of Commerce announcing a $31,000 Community-Based Economic Development grant award to the Door/Kewaunee Business & Education Partnership (DKBEP) to support continuation and expansion of DKBEP programs designed to better prepare area youth for the world of work and to build the local workforce.

More than 40 delegates extended their trip a few hours to attend a luncheon forum on sustainability issues that featured four Madison-area community leaders discussing topics related to sustainable growth, the Natural Step sustainability framework and eco- tourism. Following the luncheon, an attorney with Midwest Environmental Advocates lead a tour of Madison-area sites where development is occurring using sustainable design elements.

To read the 2007 Door County Legislative Days agenda, visit the Legislative Days website. Planning has already begun for Spring 2009!

On Tuesday, June 5th, DCEDC hosted an informational meeting on a healthcare insurance option for local small businesses, introducing the Healthy Lifestyles Cooperative as an affordable alternative for business owners and their employees. The Healthy Lifestyles Cooperative permits organizations to band together to "pool" health care insurance purchasing, which provides members critical benefit management, health education opportunities and price stability enjoyed by large organizations.

The Healthy Lifestyles Cooperative is open to any self- employed person, for-profit or non-profit organization or partnership. The Cooperative allows members to obtain large group premium structure, take advantage of administrative efficiencies and benefit from a wide array of non-insurance initiatives, such as wellness programs, that can significantly help to contain healthcare costs.

Interested businesses and organizations should contact Mary Paitrick, DCEDC Operations Manager, at 920-743-3113 x 202 or via e-mail right away for more information.

Monday through Friday, August 12-17, UW-GB will be offering a Spanish Immersion for Professionals at Stone Harbor Resort in Sturgeon Bay. Spanish Immersion for Professionals is designed to meet the changing needs of professionals who are in contact with Spanish-speaking customers. With front-line professionals in mind, including customer service representatives, call center employees, hospitality workers, bankers, teachers and health care workers, this program will 'speed course' through an intensive week of study, cultural understanding and fun. Mixed into the language/grammar components will be a good portion of tailored classes specific to a number of career fields. These fields include health care, education, business, law and leisure (travel). Thirty hours of instruction will be provided by UW-Green Bay Spanish Department faculty and by native Spanish speakers.

The program is designed for every level. A lineup of experienced instructors will teach to every skill level represented by the class. Morning sessions will cover reading, writing and grammar. Afternoon sessions will cover 'career vocabulary' including travel and leisure. Cultural activities will round out the day's instruction.

Course tuition is $349 for non-credit instruction. Participants can also earn two undergraduate or graduate credits. For more information, visit the UWGB website or call Mona Christensen, Program Director, 920-465-2267 or 800-892-2118

We welcome Thomas Voegele (Mayor, City of Sturgeon Bay) as a new member of the DCEDC Board of Directors.