Tom Lambrecht, LEED AP
2012 NREDA President

Spring has arrived!

Of course to many of you across our beautiful country the weather in Minnesota may be perceived as a bit cold. Our warm weather sometimes arrives around the middle of June. This year has been quite unique to us in the Northland. This year our snowfall has been very light and our temperatures have been very mild.

So what does this mean for all of you? Well in Minnesota it does mean that construction season has continued throughout the year. In addition to the construction industry jobs, the overall numbers of jobs added this spring has been good for our communities. The economy seems to be improving and based upon my workload, there are a number of projects coming off the shelf and seeking assistance to get in the ground.

As NREDA focuses on general economic development in the rural areas, we continue to see the benefits of having connections between the private sector, educational institutions and the non-profit sectors. New regional efforts across the country are demonstrating the value of continuing to work together. Creative collaboration among all stakeholders is vital to address the opportunities coming out of the weakened economy.

In February I represented NREDA at the National Telecommunication Cooperative Association (NTCA) Annual Meeting. I was able to connect with a few of our members and had a opportunity to hear from the telephone cooperative side of the utility industry. I presented on a panel session speaking about collaboration between rural electric and telephone cooperatives. There are some great examples of partnerships and shared services in the areas of telecommunications, data management, smart electric devices and the transmission grid. These stories and efforts across our country clearly demonstrate value to the end user and the communities that we all serve.

So as you are all enjoying the nice weather, keep in mind that NREDA promotes collaboration and connectivity among all stakeholders. It is one way to ensure that our rural areas are connected to the urban communities. I can see firsthand how together we can make a greater impact for the common good.

I hope to see you all in July at the NREDA Annual Meeting in Indianapolis. The conference committee has developed an incredible agenda that will help us all grow together.

Tom Lambrecht
2012 NREDA President
@NREDA2011
@GREecondev

NREDA CONFERENCE
July 18-20, 2012
The Westin Indianapolis,
Indianapolis, IN
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)