Get to know: Jayme Sellen
Executive director, TEDCOR
If you ask Jayme Sellen what’s in a name, she will tell you — a lot.
Sellen is the executive director of the newly rebranded Tourism and Economic Development Corp. of the Oconto Region (TEDCOR).
The private nonprofit organization, formerly known as Oconto County Economic Development Corporation, unveiled the new brand at its annual economic outlook breakfast last February. It was the result of many meetings with the local business community, visitors and residents.
“I found there was a real confusion as to what Oconto County Economic Development Corporation was, what services we provided and who we were affiliated with,” Sellen says. “We had been OCEDC since 1977. [The rebrand] wasn’t done lightly or on a whim. We took our time because we wanted this to stand for another 47-plus years.”
Sellen says the new name more clearly identifies the organization’s core functions — tourism and economic development for the Oconto region.
“The rebrand was an opportunity to bring everything under one umbrella,” she says. “By clarifying that message, now we’re able to get to a much larger audience. The number of businesses and startups that are seeking our help has actually increased.”
For example, TEDCOR administers entrepreneurial pilot grants through the WEDC. Sellen’s goal within the first six months of the grant was to have 10 new clients. She’s currently at 18 and counting. “We’ve almost doubled our goal, which is great because then we have the ability to help more entrepreneurs find the resources and the market that they need to be successful,” she says.
Sellen has been in her role for three years this month, but she sees it as the continuation of a multigenerational family heritage.
“My parents grew up in Oconto County. My grandma lived all her 100 years here. She volunteered here; she worked here. My other grandma owned a tavern here. I thought that my skills could help add to her legacy,” Sellen says. “So for me, it’s a passion project. I’m fortunate that I get paid to do this, because it’s a way for me to give back to my family.”
— Amelia Compton Wolff
Ice Age advancement
Algoma was recently the 22nd community to be designated as an official Ice Age Trail Community by the Ice Age Trail Alliance, which helps communities leverage the 1,200-mile Ice Age National Scenic Trail as an economic and social driver. Kewaunee County is home to roughly 50 miles of Ice Age Trail, including completed, blazed segments and connecting routes between completed segments. Plans are in the works to blaze more than three miles of Ice Age Trail through Algoma later this summer. When the Algoma Segment is blazed, more than 700 miles of the trail will be complete. “Trail segments that go through communities are some of the most popular,” says Luke Kloberdanz, executive director and CEO of the Ice Age Trail Alliance. “You get to see up-close what makes that community unique.”
Skeletal support
Fincantieri Marinette Marine is in the process of testing wearable robotic “exoskeletons” to provide physical support to welders and painters building military ships. The Comau MATE-XT Exoskeletons are designed to reduce muscle effort during strenuous activities, repetitive motions and overhead operations. The devices are worn like a backpack and can reduce muscle strain by up to 30%, supporting the arms and shoulders while improving posture and increasing precision. Exoskeletons are being trialed at Fincantieri’s Marinette and Sturgeon Bay shipyards.
Shoreline investment
Coastal communities in Wisconsin will be receiving $1.3 million in grants administered by the Wisconsin Department of Administration (DOA) Wisconsin Coastal Management Program. The 31 grants will be used by local, state and Tribal governments, regional planning commissions, universities and nonprofit organizations. This newly announced funding will support projects totaling more than $3.3 million. New North region recipients include Bay-Lake Regional Planning Commission, city of Manitowoc, Greater Escarpment Organization of Door County, Inc., towns of Gibraltar and Scott, and NEW Water. The Wisconsin DNR, UW System and Wisconsin Historical Society received grant funding for projects tied to Northeast Wisconsin.
