Michelle Lawrie has worked in economic development for two decades, but as the newly named executive director of Door County Economic Development Corp., she will turn her attention to a region that simultaneously boasts many assets and faces unique challenges.
“We’re very fortunate to be in Door County and have the assets that we do. But the challenges are there. It’s not as fast-growing as other areas, and some of the challenges that are going on around the country and the state are a little more acute here,” she says.
Big needs to address include workforce development and housing, and the seasonal nature of the county’s economy adds a layer of complication, says Lawrie, who held economic development roles in Arizona and DeForest, Wisconsin, prior to coming to Door County.
When it comes to workforce development, Wisconsin has an advantage in that many people who grow up in the state stay or return, Lawrie says, adding that her home state of Arizona has a more transient population.
“I think that’s a huge plus, and I think that really starts with the youth,” she says. “I really want to look at … how do we encourage population growth? How do we encourage training of youth? How do we look at ourselves a little differently?”
Lawrie also touts the importance of the county’s manufacturing base, which includes top players like Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding, Hatco Corp., N.E.W. Industries, Marine Travelift/ExacTech and Therma-Tron-X. These companies do much to support the communities, and it’s vital to help them address their workforce needs, she says.
In her first 100 days, Lawrie says she plans to talk to as many stakeholders as possible and listen to what they think. After all, they know well the county’s biggest challenges, which include child care and broadband in addition to workforce and housing.
“We have a good framework to go forward to address some of these challenges and to be able to be a partner with many other organizations here who are doing similar things, and it’s going to take all of us,” she says.
— Jessica Thiel
Tech assist
When Patrick Neph, co-owner of the Green Bay restaurants Mangiare and Republic Chophouse, came across a robot solution for the restaurant industry, he saw an opportunity. Robot Servi is now in place at Mangiare in downtown Green Bay. Servi isn’t a replacement for Mangiare team members, but rather it offers an opportunity to automate repetitive tasks like clearing tables, which allows human workers to put their focus on serving customers.
Forging a path
Three Green Bay-area school districts are collaborating with Bellin College to offer high school students a new curriculum that leads to a career pathway in health care. Starting in August, students from the Luxemburg-Casco, Kewaunee and Denmark districts will come together to participate in a pathway into the Bellin College Healthcare Academy. Bellin College offers individual health care-focused courses at area high schools, but this will be its first full-scale health care program. Participating students can earn up to 42 college credits while in high school.
Increasing accessibility
GO Transit, the public transportation service in the Greater Oshkosh area, unveiled Quantum securement technology on its buses. The device allows riders in wheelchairs and mobility devices to have complete independence while riding the bus. The technology is fitted onto 12 of GO Transit’s buses, providing riders the ability to secure themselves into place in only 25 seconds with the push of a button and no assistance from the driver.
