(Northwoods, WI) Grow North Regional Economic Development Corporation, Inc. is a volunteer-driven organization made up of people dedicated to growing our Northwoods economy. The Grow North region includes Forest, Langlade, Lincoln, Oneida and Vilas counties.  Grow North is governed by its members, who approve all Grow North activities, projects and programs. A Board of Directors provides recommendations to the membership and takes care of the day-to-day operations of the organization. The Board of Directors is constructed to ensure that private-sector businesses play an active role in determining Grow North’s direction. Additionally, the Board of Directors includes one representative from each of the five counties to ensure balanced representation.  The Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer positions are nominated and voted on by the general membership.  The prior year Vice President automatically assumes the responsibilities of the President in their second year and will become the past President in their third year.  Additional Board members are the chairs of current standing committees.

Grow North is pleased to introduce the following members of the 2009 Board of Directors:

President: Jodi Hanson, Ministry Health Care
Vice-President: Bart Lamers, One Prospect
Secretary: Jim Brown, Nicolet Technical College
Treasurer: Pete Otis, Retired

Past-President: Rob Krieghoff, Retired
Forest County Representative: Jim Landru, Forest County Board
Langlade County Representative: Dick Hartmann, Langlade County EDC
Lincoln County Representative: Jack Sroka, Lincoln County EDC
Oneida County Representative: Jim Kumbera, Oneida County EDC
Vilas County Representative: Bob Egan, Vilas County Board
Tourism Representative: Diane Hapka, Oneida County Tourism Council

Staff Support: Dan Kuzlik, UW Extension
The next meeting of the membership is scheduled for Wednesday, March 11 at the Eagle River Inn located at 5260 Hwy 70 W.  To accommodate the guest speakers schedule the meeting time has been changed.  The meeting will begin at 11:45 a.m. with a lunch buffet provided by Grow North and conclude no later than 1:30 p.m. Guest speaker will be Dick Leinenkugel, Secretary of the Department of Commerce.  Members and guests are invited to attend.
Grow North is a membership driven organization comprised mainly of private-sector businesses throughout the region. Members determine the actions of the organization, and the primary source of funding for Grow North is the annual dues paid by each of its members. Annual Membership dues are $100 per entity, and entitle each paying member entity to one vote at the Annual Meeting and one vote on all issues that come before the board at regular meetings. Membership helps support the mission of growing the Northwoods economy and ensuring that the region is able to sustain vibrant businesses and communities. For more information, please visit their website at www.grownorth.org.