SE MN Together will host a regional convention  — Thriving Communities: Making Workforce Work — that will inform participants of successful development activities in towns in the region and encourage relationship-building to learn from and work with one another, according to a press release.

The event will be from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. March 14 on the Austin campus of Riverland Community College. The meeting will feature a morning keynote speaker on 21st Century communities by Thomas Fisher, director of the Minnesota Design Center. The keynote will be followed by breakout sessions on career pathways, child care, community design, diversity and inclusion, emerging issues, marketing and branding and transit.

This is a free event with lunch provided by event sponsors Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation, Pat and Gary Ray of Austin, Riverland Community College and the University of Minnesota Southeast Regional Sustainable Development Partnership. After lunch, there will be open networking time and add-on sessions.

From 2 to 5 p.m., the Governor’s Housing Taskforce will host a regional housing forum to learn about the work of the taskforce, share your ideas, and help craft regional housing strategies.

“Nearly every community in southeast Minnesota is challenged by workforce shortages,” said Erin Meier, SE MN Together coordinator, “And we believe even our smallest towns can address economic development issues by learning from and collaborating with others in the region.”

Registration is required. Find information at z.umn.edu/SEMNT.

SE MN Together is a regional collaborative network established in 2015 to create opportunities for smaller communities to develop and utilize cross-regional relationships and strategies to address workforce and economic development challenges. SE MN Together is hosted by the University of Minnesota Southeast Regional Sustainable Development Partnership and governed by a core team representing diverse stakeholders across the region.