Extension > Community > About Community Vitality > Community Economics
Community Economics Team
Matt Kane
Program Leader, Community Economics
mattkane@umn.edu
612-625-4820460 Coffey Hall
1420 Eckles Ave
St. Paul, MN 55108-6070Education
- B.A., College of St. Thomas, Journalism Major with a concentration in economics
- Master of Arts, University of Minnesota Humphrey School of Public Affairs. Concentrations in economic development and policy analysis
Work Experience
Matt joined the Center for Community Vitality in November of 2011 as program leader for Community Economics. He leads community economics educators across the state, as well as specialists on campus, in the design, delivery and evaluation of programs that help communities make choices about their economic future.
Before joining Extension, Matt was policy and research director for Growth & Justice, a non-profit, non-partisan organization that researches and recommends public sector investments and policies to make Minnesota's economy simultaneously more prosperous and fair. Matt has worked on policy issues for more than 20 years, exploring challenges and proposals relevant at the federal, state and local levels. He has been employed with the Washington-based Northeast Midwest Institute, the National League of Cities and a national association of manufacturing extension centers. He has testified before Congress on several occasions, and has served on the editorial board of Economic Development Quarterly. Matt has authored or co-authored four books, more than 60 reports, and more 40 published articles on policy and practice.
Matt has taught community economic development at the graduate level at both the Humphrey School of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota and the University of Michigan's Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning.
Affiliations, Honors and Community Service
- Service: Technical Advisory Group, 2010-11 for "How Affordable Is Transportation? An Accessibility-based Evaluation" by Yingling Fan, assistant professor, Humphrey School, University of Minnesota.; Member, Technical Advisory Group, 2009 for "Regional Competitiveness Project: A Partnership to Increase the Economic Competitiveness of the Twin Cities Metropolitan Region," Regional Council of Mayors, DEED and the University of Minnesota's Humphrey School; Member, Minnesota Working Group on Economic Dislocation, St. Paul, MN, 1985-86.
Selected Publications
- Building Sensible Communities: Policies, Strategies and Background for Improving Location Efficiency in Minnesota, Research report (PDF). Growth & Justice, November 2011. Co-author.
- Connecting Communities in Greater Minnesota: Roads, Intercity Bus and Rail for Personal Travel, Research report (PDF) and policy brief (PDF), Growth & Justice, October 2011. Co-author.
- Smart Economic Development for Minnesota: Getting It Right in Tough Times and Beyond. Research report (PDF) and policy brief (PDF), Growth & Justice, February 2009. Author.
- Better Connections: Linking Minnesotans with Low Incomes and Limited Transportation Options to Jobs and Other Important Destinations. Research report (PDF) and policy brief (PDF), Growth & Justice, July 2009. Author.
- Federal Policy Ideas for Community Revitalization. Research report (PDF), Northeast-Midwest Institute, April 2006. Principal author.
- "The Value of Manufacturing Extension Programs in America." Article, The Journal of Technology Transfer, spring 1998. author.
- The State of the Region: Demographic and Economic Trends in the Northeast and Midwest. Book, Northeast-Midwest Institute and the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, 1992. Principal author.
Michael Darger
Extension Specialist, Community Economics
Director, Business Retention & Expansion Programdarger@umn.edu
612-625-6246462 Coffey Hall
1420 Eckles Avenue
St. Paul, MN 55108-6070Education
- B.A., Economics and Management, Albion College, Albion, MI
- Master of Business Administration, University of Michigan, Marketing and Finance
Work Experience
Michael has managed Extension's Business Retention and Expansion (BR&E) Program in Minnesota since 1999, co-leading award-winning BR&E programs in Hugo, Lyon County, St. Paul's Midway-University neighborhood, the City of Faribault and Swift County. He has also managed a program in Swift Current, Saskatchewan. Michael is a former program leader for Community Economics programming for the Center (2004 – 2010) acting as supervisor, coach and convener for nine Extension educators. He continues to serve as a liaison to campus specialists who are experts in community business and industry climate, public finance and tourism topics.
Before coming to Extension, he spent ten years in local economic development positions with both inner-city nonprofit organizations and county government. He also has experience in commercial banking, corporate finance and marketing.
Affiliations, Honors and Community Service
- Affiliations/Board of Director service: National Association of Community Development Extension Professionals (President-Elect, National Secretary 2010-2012), Business Retention and Expansion International (former board member), Economic Development Association of Minnesota (former board member)
- Awards: Extension Dean and Director, Award for Distinguished Outstanding Leadership (2008); Business Retention and Expansion International, George Morse Award for major contributions (2007); Extension Dean and Director, Outstanding Extension Team, Retail Analysis and Development (2005); Extension's "Double Bottom Line" Team (Retail Analysis and Development) (2006)
- Certifications/Certificates of Completion: Economic Development Finance Professional (The National Development Council), Blandin Community Leadership Program (Blandin Foundation), Certified Master Consultant (BREI), Joel Barker's Implications Wheel (Institute for Strategic Exploration), LEAD21 – the National Land Grant Leadership Program (Fanning Institute, University of Georgia)
Brigid Tuck
Economic Impact Analyst
tuckb@umn.edu
507-389-6979Extension Regional Office, Mankato
1961 Premier Drive, Suite 110
Mankato, MN 56001Education
- Bachelor of Arts, May 1997, High Distinction, University of Minnesota- Morris, Morris, MN - Majors: Economics and Management
- Master of Applied Economics, Spring 1999, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN
Work Experience
Brigid joined University of Minnesota Extension in the fall of 2008. She conducts analysis and writes reports for the Economic Impact Analysis (EIA) program and Business Retention and Expansion (BR&E) program. Brigid helped launch the EIA program in early 2009. Since then, the EIA program has conducted over a dozen studies, covering numerous economic sectors, including tourism, education, manufacturing, retail, infrastructure, and local foods. Brigid also writes the research and summary reports for the BR&E program.
Brigid has over 10 years of experience using IMPLAN, the input-output modeling software used in economic impact analysis. She has completed three IMPLAN training courses and has twice presented at the national conference for IMPLAN users. Prior to joining U of M Extension, Brigid worked for both St. Cloud State University and the University of Georgia Extension Service.
Affiliations, Honors and Community Service
- Board of Directors: Ney Nature Center (2010-present); Le Sueur Friends of the Library Board (2011-present)
- Training and Certifications: Advanced Editing and Proofreading. College of Continuing Education. University of Minnesota (2009); IMPLAN Version 3 (2009); Business Retention and Expansion Consultant (2004); ArcView GIS (2003)
- Member: Agriculture and Applied Economics Association, National Association of Community Development Extension Professionals, Business Retention and Expansion International
Ben Winchester
Research Fellow
benw@umn.edu
320-589-5033U of MN Extension
c/o UMM Center for Small Towns
600 E 4th St 200 Welcome Ctr
Morris, MN 56267Education
- B.A., 1995, Mathematics, Area of Concentration in Statistics, University of Minnesota, Morris
- Masters in Rural Sociology, 2001, University of Missouri, Columbia
Work Experience
Ben has worked in and for small towns across the Midwest since 1997 – with a focus on his home state of Minnesota. He joined the Extension Center for Community Vitality in 2008. As Research Fellow for the Community Vitality, Ben manages evaluation studies that monitor the effectiveness and outcomes of leadership, civic engagement and community economics programs at Extension. Ben also conducts research on topics relevant to community vitality. Currently, he is documenting a "brain gain" to rural areas – the trend of 30-49 year old people moving to more rural areas – to identify the social and economic opportunities of this migration. He is also analyzing rural community leadership, especially the community-wide requirements to "keep the town running" through the public sector. Prior to joining Extension, he was on staff with the University of Morris and the Center for Small Towns.
Published Research
- Winchester, Benjamin; Nash, Art; and Tobias Spanier. 2011. The Glass Half Full: A New View of Rural Minnesota. Rural Minnesota Journal 6(1): 1-30.
- Winchester, Benjamin. August, 2010. Regional Recruitment: Strategies to Attract and Recruit Newcomers. Economic Development Center, University of Minnesota, Crookston.
- Winchester, Benjamin. 2009. Social Capital and Crime. Blandin Community Leader. Vol. 8(1): Blandin Foundation.
- Sungur, Engin; Anderson, Jon; and Benjamin Winchester. 2005. "Integration of Service Learning into Statistics Education" in Mathematics in Service to the Community, Charles Hadlock (ed.). Mathematical Association of America.
Affiliations, Honors and Community Service
- Award: Minnesota Association of Community and Leadership Education Professionals, Excellence in Research, (2012)
- Member: Community Development Society, Rural Sociological Society, Minnesota Evaluation Association
Laura Kalambokidis, Extension Economist, Department of Applied Economics
Elton Mykerezi, Assistant Professor, Department of Applied Economics
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John Bennett
Northeast Minnesota
jbennett@umn.edu
Phone: 218-726-6471
Fax: 218-726-6499UMD Center for Economic Development
Duluth Technology Village, Suite 210
11 E Superior Street
Duluth, MN 55802-2019Counties Served:
Carlton, Cook, Itasca, Koochiching, Lake, St. LouisEducation:
- B.S. Geography and Urban and Regional Studies University of Minnesota Duluth
- Masters in Public Policy and Administration Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois
Work Experience:
John has been delivering Community Economics programming in Extension since 2007. John comes to Extension with a background in public finance, community development and city and regional planning. As a Community Economics Educator, John delivers programs that address technology adoption, business and industry climate, economic impact analysis, tourism issues, market and consumer analysis, public finance, and internet literacy. In addition, he is involved with several collaborative economic development initiatives in the Arrowhead region, including Duluth's initiative to attract and retain young adults and the Northern Minnesota Business Connection.
Affiliations, Honors and Community Service:
- Member: Economic Development Association of Minnesota; Community Development Society; National Association of Community Development Extension Professionals; Duluth-Superior Area Community Foundation, Attracting and Retaining Young Adults Initiative; Iron Range Economic Alliance; Great Lakes Urban Exchange; Business Retention and Expansion International; Fuse Duluth Leadership Council
Rani Bhattacharyya
Northwest Minnesota
rani-b@umn.edu
Phone: 218-281-8629
Fax: 218-281-8686510 County Rd 71, Ste 119
Crookston, MN 56716
Counties Served:
Beltrami, Clearwater, Kittson, Lake of the Woods, Mahnomen, Marshall, Norman, Pennington, Polk, Red Lake, RoseauEducation:
- B.S. Environmental Studies, Humanities Northland College Ashland, WI. Concentration in Public Policy and Literature.
- M.S. Recreation, Parks and Tourism Administration, Western Illinois University; Macomb, IL. Concentration in rural destination development and management.
Work Experience:
A recent addition to the Community Economics team; Rani's experience includes two years as a community development fellow with the Illinois Institute for Rural Affairs; working on agritourism research and serving as statewide field staff for Rural Partners Illinois. In Illinois, she also worked on housing and rural broadband access issues throughout the state. In addition, Rani worked for three years with the Peace Corps in Bulgaria, where she helped implement a regional sustainable tourism development strategy by actively engaging migrant populations within the strategy's tourism entrepreneurship and youth environmental education activities. More recently, she has worked for four years with Green Seal in D.C. on environmentally responsible facility management practices and over the last year with the social enterprise Local Flavor, LLC in Minnesota.
Affiliations, Honors and Community Service:
- Affiliations: Editorial Board Member of HotelExecutive.com; Guest Presenter on Lodging Certification in the course: Environmental Management of International, Tourism Development of Harvard Extension School, Cambridge; Volunteer Alum of Visva-Bharati University: Santiniketan, West Bengal; The Science Museum of Minnesota, and The Three Rivers Park District Natural Resources Division.
- Certification: Global Sustainable Ecotourism Development: Achieving Economic Growth, Alleviation of Poverty, and Environmental Conservation: University of Vermont, Burlington.
- Member: The Community Development Society
Liz Templin
East Central Minnesota
Templin@umn.edu
Phone: 763-767-3880
Fax: 763-767-3885Extension Regional Office, Andover
Bunker Hills Activities Center
550 Bunker Lake Boulevard NW, Suite L-1
Andover, MN 55304Counties Served:
Chisago, Goodhue, Isanti, Kanabec, Le Sueur, Mille Lacs, Pine, RiceEducation:
- B.S., Family Social Science, University of Minnesota
- M.Ed., Adult Education, University of Minnesota
- Extensive additional coursework in Economics
Work Experience:
Liz partners with local government officials and economic development groups to assess and enhance the sources of jobs and income in communities. Examples of past projects include facilitating a community study of a potential merger of Forest Lake city and township, fostering broadband access in Aitkin County, and helping businesses access resources for employee retention as part of the Washington County welfare-to-work initiative. She has conducted Business Retention and Expansion programs with fast-growing manufacturing firms near University Avenue in St. Paul, technology firms in Dakota County, manufacturing firms in the St. Croix Valley, and in the communities of Mora, Pine City, Forest Lake and Princeton. She has presented at national and international conferences, and has been a consultant for an international development organization.
Prior to her Extension career, Liz worked in corporate public relations for a large Minnesota food processing company and ran her own photography business. In 1990-91, Liz was a Bush Fellow in the Department of Applied Economics at the University of Minnesota where she studied community economics and did applied research. In 2000, Liz served as the Extension Fellow with the Association of Minnesota Counties.
Affiliations, Honors and Community Service:
- Awards: University of Minnesota Extension Dean and Director's Award for Distinguished Extension Field Faculty (2004), Distinguished Double Bottom Line for Retail Analysis and Development (2005), Distinguished Team for Retail Analysis and Development (2006); Distinguished Service Award, Minnesota Community and Natural Resources Association; Distinguished Service Award, National Association of Extension 4-H Agents; Kellogg Foundation Fellow in International Development through Partners of the Americas (1987-1989)
- Member: Business Retention and Expansion International; Community Development Society; Economic Development Association of Minnesota; Epsilon Sigma Phi; Minnesota Association of Extension Educators (Past President); Minnesota-Uruguay Partners of the Americas (Past President); National Association of Community Development Extension Professionals
- Certifications: Business Retention and Expansion Consultant (Business Retention & Expansion International); Economic Development Finance Professional (National Development Council); Myers-Briggs Type Indicator
Merritt Bussiere
Central Minnesota
bussiere@umn.edu
Phone: 218-825-2175
Fax: 218-828-2424Extension Regional Office, Brainerd
322 Laurel Street, Suite 21
Brainerd, MN 56401-3500Counties Served: Aitkin, Benton, Cass, Crow Wing, Hubbard, Morrison, Todd, Wadena
Education:
- M.S., Urban and Regional Planning, Generalist Major/Economic Development Minor, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI
- B.A., Latin American Political Economy, College of Liberal Arts, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA
- Numerous short courses, workshops and seminars on topics including community economic analysis, curriculum development, strategic planning, experiential learning, land use law, database design, educational program evaluation, municipal budget and finance analysis, adult education theory, group process techniques, designing spreadsheet models, sustainable development, rural development, and survey research methods.
Work Experience:
Merritt began his work for the Center for Community Vitality in April 2013. His background includes an extended affiliation with the University of Wisconsin Extension's Community, Natural Resource and Economic Development Program. He served as a county-based community development educator, and as a campus-based state land use education specialist.
He also worked as a city community development director, business counselor, community planning and development consultant, loan fund manager, economic development director and zoning administrator. He has led public policy research programs for nonprofit and labor organizations. Merritt's areas of specialization include community and economic development, business feasibility planning and finance, household and user surveys, downtown revitalization, organizational development and group process, land use policy, planning and regulation, and public policy analysis and strategy development.
Affiliations, Honors and Community Service:
- Certificates and Licenses: SBDC Business Counselor; NxLevel Business Trainer; Latin American Studies Certificate, Temple University
- Awards: Dean's Merit Award, University of Wisconsin Extension (1994 & 1996)
Ryan Pesch
West Central Minnesota
pesch@umn.edu
Phone: 218-770-4398
Fax: 218-236-2014Extension Regional Office, Moorhead
715 11th Street North, Suite 107C
Moorhead, MN 56560-2083Counties Served:
Becker, Big Stone, Clay, Douglas, Grant, Otter Tail, Pope, Stevens, Swift, Traverse, WilkinEducation:
- Master of Urban and Regional Planning, 2004, University of Minnesota Humphrey Institute, Minneapolis, MN
- Teaching English as a Second Language (TEFL) Certification, May 2000, Hamline University, St. Paul, MN
- Bachelor of Arts, May 1999, Summa Cum Laude, Gustavus Adolphus College, St. Peter, MN
Majors: Honors Classics and History
Work Experience:
Ryan has worked in community economic development for Extension in west central Minnesota since 2004. In that capacity, he developed and delivered Extension programming in eCommerce, business retention and expansion, tourism development, and retail market analysis. Ryan also pursues work in community food systems, focusing on successful development strategies for direct farm marketing and research on the local foods market. Before coming to Extension, Ryan taught English in Trabzon, Turkey and worked in sustainable agriculture as a farm apprentice and greengrocer. Ryan opperates a vegetable farm with his family in Otter Tail County.
Affiliations, Honors and Community Service:
- Awards: Extension Dean and Director's Award, Distinguished Extension Team, Retail Analysis and Development Program (2005); Economic Development Association of Minnesota, Best Development Initiative in Technology (2008); Minnesota Community and Natural Resources Association, Early Career Award (2008); National Association of Community Development Extension Professionals, Educational Piece, (2009); Extension Dean and Director's Diversity Award for Horizons, (2009)
- Member:Community Development Society, National Association of Community Development Extension Professionals, Minnesota Association of Community and Leadership Education Professionals; Phi Beta Kappa, national academic fraternity; Eti Sigma Phi, National Classics fraternity
- Board of Directors: West Central Regional Sustainable Development Partnership, Upper Minnesota River Valley Chapter of Buy Fresh Buy Local
Adeel Ahmed
South Central Minnesota
ahme0004@umn.edu
Phone: 320-203-6109
Fax: 320-203-6110Extension Regional Office, St. Cloud
Midtown Office Complex
3400 First Street North, Suite 400
St. Cloud, MN 56303-4000Counties Served:
Blue Earth, Brown, McLeod, Meeker, Nicollet, Renville, Sherburne, Sibley, Stearns, WrightSpecial Interests:
Volunteer Geographic Information collection, eCommerce education, and Crowd sourcingEducation:
- Masters in Public Policy, University of Minnesota - Humphrey Institute, Minneapolis, MN
- B.S., University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, Chemistry
Work Experience:
Adeel has developed and delivered Extension Community Economics programming in Minnesota since 2006. He has extensive experience in evaluation methodology and is passionate in teaching about using technology. Adeel taught chemistry and physics in Tanzania with the Peace Corps while practicing community development. At the Humphrey Institute, he conducted a feasibility study on the use of switch grass as an alternative energy source. With a Boren Fellowship, Adeel studied the role of madrassas (religious schools) in the Pakistani educational system. Adeel also has seven years of private sector experience in information technology at Northwest Airlines, Koch Industries and Emerson Process Management. He is fluent in Urdu and Hindi (the primary languages in India and Pakistan), and has language competency in Swahili and Arabic.
Affiliations, Honors and Community Service:
- Awards: Boren Fellow, National Security Education Program
- Certifications: Business Retention & Expansion
- Memberships: Business Retention and Expansion International, Community Development Society, Economic Development Association of Minnesota, National Association of Community Development Extension Professionals
Bruce Schwartau
Southeast Minnesota
bwschwar@umn.edu
Phone: 507-536-6308
Fax: 507-280-2872Extension Regional Center, Rochester
863 30th Avenue SE
Rochester, MN 55904-4915Counties Served:
Dodge, Faribault, Fillmore, Freeborn, Houston, Martin, Mower, Olmsted, Steele, Wabasha, Waseca, WinonaEducation:
- B.S., University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, Agricultural Business Administration
- Masters in Education, University Of Minnesota-Twin Cities, Adult Education
Work Experience:
While Bruce works in all areas of community economics, he provides leadership to programs that helps communities analyze their economic situation and develop a framework for decision-making. He is a contributor to the Community Retail Development Toolbox. Bruce has been a presenter at the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce Mini-Institute, National Association of Community Development Extension Professionals Annual Conference, Public Issues Leadership Development Conference, and the Outreach Scholarship Conference. Bruce served as the Interim Program Leader for Community Economics in 2011. Before coming to Extension, Bruce worked in sales and marketing with several multi-national firms.
Affiliations, Honors and Community Service:
- Chair: Minnesota Association of Community & Leadership Education Professionals (2011-12)
- Awards: National Association of Community Development Extension Professionals, Distinguished Service Award (2009); Minnesota Association of Extension Educators, Effective Leadership Award (2008)
- Certification: Business Retention and Expansion; Implications Wheel
- Memberships: Minnesota Council of Extension Professionals; Business Retention & Expansion International; Economic Development Association of Minnesota; Community Development Society; National Association of Community Development Extension Professionals
Neil Linscheid
Southwest Minnesota
lins0041@umn.edu
Phone: 507-337-2814
Fax: 507-337-2802Extension Regional Office, Marshall
1424 E College Drive, Suite 100
Marshall, MN 56258-2087Counties Served:
Chippewa, Cottonwood, Jackson, Kandiyohi, Lac qui Parle, Lincoln, Lyon, Murray, Nobles, Pipestone, Redwood, Rock, Watonwan, Yellow MedicineEducation:
- Master of Public Policy, May 2007, University of Minnesota Humphrey Institute, Minneapolis, MN (Concentration in Community and Economic Development)
- B.A., December 2004, University of Minnesota, Morris; Major: Political Science
Work Experience:
A native of St. Paul, MN, Neil's career interests turned to rural Minnesota during his college years at the University of Minnesota Morris. There, he was a research assistant for the Center for Small Towns, and co-authored papers about the intersection of rural Minnesota and the media, business and affordable health care. He has worked for Minnesota Rural Partners as a Rural Policy Intern. Most recently, he was the Economic Development Director for Region Five Development Commission. There, he was responsible for the design, implementation and evaluation of economic development programs and initiatives.
Published Research:
- Thorson, Greg; Linscheid, Neil; Schmidt, Tara. 2004. The Search for Affordable Health Care in Rural Minnesota: Prospects and Problems for Market-based Solutions. Center for Small Towns: Morris, MN.
- Winchester, Benjamin; Linscheid, Neil. 2004. Benson Business Barometer Survey. Center for Small towns: Morris, MN.
- Winchester, Benjamin; Linscheid, Neil; Schmidt, Tara; and Abby Von Arx. 2004. Media Message of Rural: Lessons from Minnesota. Center for Small Towns: Morris, MN
