Wisconsin Rural Partners Summit stresses collaboration to achieve success

Tackling the ups and downs of rural prosperity

Wisconsin’s rural communities face challenges such as housing shortages, aging populations, and, for some, the loss of schools and healthcare facilities. 

But through collaboration, cooperation, and community involvement, rural regions are attracting new residents and achieving economic development gains. 

Those successes were among the highlights of the Wisconsin Rural Partners Summit held April 29-30 in Prairie du Chien. The conference featured a series of panel discussions focused on life outside the state’s bustling urban centers. 

Navigating challenges together

Rural trends are changing, and communities within those regions should consider working across municipal boundaries and taking advantage of a growing range of opportunities, speakers said in a session about the state of rural Wisconsin. 

“Rural has become the new buzzword,” said Melissa Hunt, president and CEO of the Wisconsin Economic Development Association, a nonprofit, nonpartisan research and education foundation. “That makes the work we do even more important right now.”...