2026 CDS Annual Conference

This session details the Moving Waseca FORWARD project, a year-long rural workforce development initiative. The project brought together diverse stakeholders (education, business, government) using a cross-sector collaborative approach to address local workforce needs. Leveraging existing curriculum, the initiative formed task forces focused on agriculture and healthcare to improve career pathway awareness and communication. Presented by Extension educators and a key community partner, this session will share practical lessons on facilitating effective cross-sector partnerships and data-driven community development strategies in a small rural setting.

Key insights will include the value of creating a dedicated space for collaboration, strategies for balancing external data with local lived experiences, and lessons learned on empowering local leadership. Featuring community perspectives and initial results from our 6-month evaluation, this session offers practical, transferable strategies for forging effective cross-sector partnerships to navigate community change.

Communities are navigating an age of mobility, where traditional boundaries no longer reflect how people live, work, and play. This presentation will delve into how mobile data can help communities adapt and respond to shifting economic landscapes. Drawing on findings from Wadena County, Minnesota, this session will explore an innovative approach that breaks down traditional boundaries by utilizing mobile data to reveal new insights into community connections.
By engaging with community leaders, meaningful insights can be determined from mobile data to highlight connections between communities that highlight the impact of housing, job, and transportation corridors in rural counties. Key information from community partners allowed for additional customization and analysis, strengthening the application of the project findings. By demonstrating this collaborative approach, participants will gain valuable insights into the application of this modern tool to make informed and collaborative economic development decisions.

This presentation shares findings from a quantitative evaluation of two urban community leadership programs. It examines how participants across demographic groups experienced leadership growth, civic engagement, and community empowerment. The analysis highlights strengths, disparities, and cross-sector collaboration strategies that shape community capacity-building efforts. Attendees will gain insight into how leadership development initiatives can promote equitable participation, strengthen community assets, and support sustainable social change.
 

When Hyundai announced their intentions to build a $7.6M EV vehicle factory in a rural part of Bryan County, Georgia, many celebrated the largest economic development project in Georgia history. The factory would bring over 8,500 jobs, as well as numerous suppliers to nearby communities. Some saw this as a once in a generation opportunity to provide good paying jobs in an area with higher than average poverty rates.   


Despite promises of good jobs, the pushback from some local residents was harsh and swift. Many expressed concern that the size and scope of the project would change their community beyond recognition and destroy the small town feel or rural lifestyle. Others expressed concerns about water availability, dwindling availability of farm land, the environmental impact of development, and unchecked sprawl. This paper will examine how three communities confronted and reacted to concerns about growth and development. Through content analysis of newspaper articles, social media posts, and official council and commission meeting minutes, we examine how community residents formed coalitions to oppose development, including the use of narratives to define place and “community.” 

The turn of the 21st century has seen a new settlement pattern of immigrants bypassing traditional urban gateways and locating to rural spaces instead. Rural immigration thus presents a unique opportunity to advance the vitality of small towns. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to examine the experiences of rural immigrants with community leadership. Findings revealed that rural immigrants experience community leadership as a broad practice of service meant for all members of the community, not just a select few. The experience of community leadership by rural immigrants also involves complexities in representation and challenges in developing immigrant leaders.