http://www.macombcountymi.gov/MCPED/rssfeeds/department.xml ____________________________________________ Tues, 06 Mar 2012 13:00:00 GMT ListGarden Program 1.3.1 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss 08-29-12_PED-CountyEmployeesraisefundstosupportVeterans.pdf The Macomb County Department of Planning & Economic Development hosted a fundraising luncheon on Tuesday and donated all of the proceeds to the Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 154 of Roseville for their Veterans Support Center. The luncheon was organized by Business Counseling Aide Denise Mentzer with support from department staff. It was held for all employees who work in the Macomb County Administration Building in downtown Mount Clemens. Local restaurateur Bud Montreuil of John Barleycorn’s provided a taco bar for lunch. In all, the event and raffle raised more than $2,100 for the veterans. August 29, 2012 # Congratulations to Don Morandini, Deputy Director, Macomb County Department of Planning & Economic Development and Center Director, Macomb County Small Business & Technology Development Center, for being awarded the 2012 Leadership Award. Very well deserved, Don! June 7, 2012 # Today we helped JohnPaul Rea celebrate his induction into the American Institute of Certified Planners (he brought bagels; we ate them!) Granted only to those with distinct educational credentials, years of experience AND the ability to pass a rigorous test, it is an honorable accomplishment indeed! Other staffers with this distinction include Steve Cassin, Jeff Schroeder and Gerry Santoro. May 23, 2012 http://www.macombcountymi.gov/MCPED/Department Happenings/Climate Survey Jan 2012 Final.pdf Over 550 business leaders responded to this December 2011 survey, the highest number of responses of the four surveys conducted to date. Read the analysis and resulting projections for economic development in Macomb County. January 10, 2012 http://www.macombcountymi.gov/MCPED/pdf/08-09-11_First_Half_of_2011_Economic_Impact_Results.pdf The Department issued its Economic Impact Report for the first half of 2011, which highlighted the 55.1M investment and 600+ jobs that were created in Macomb County. For the complete report, click here. August 11, 2011 http://www.cityofnewbaltimore.org Macomb County's downtowns are vital community anchors. These traditional commercial centers are destinations with profound social and economic impact on Macomb County. With a wealth of interests, resources, and stakeholders these entities are an important factor to Macomb County's economic resurgence. Understanding the importance of these entities MCPED has been engaged with a number of Downtown Development Authorities providing planning and economic development assistance services. One of the County's partnering communities is the City of New Baltimore. Currently the City and DDA are involved in a number of impactful initiatives. For additional information on the City of New Baltimore DDA, click here. August 5, 2011 http://www.macombcountymi.gov/MCPED/Department Happenings/Accelerate Michigan Competition 2011 Overview.pdf Attention all entrepreneurs. Now is your time to shine, and win some big money for your business in the process We’re talking about the Accelerate Michigan Innovation Competition that is open to mid- to-late-stage start-ups with bright ideas. This international business competition has more than 1 million in cash prizes and lots of in-kind awards such as services, staffing and software for the winners. But the deadline is approaching soon applications are due August 10. Click here for details. July 28, 2011 # The department is pleased to welcome Carrie Fortune as an associate planner working within the Community Development service group. Carrie will support Community Development Block Grant programs, especially as related to non-profit agencies within the county. Fortune was previously coordinator for the Macomb County Continuum of Care for the Homeless program. Welcome Carrie! June 28, 2011 # Several MCPED staff members participated in the Macomb Intermediate School District’s Global Trade Mission, which took place from March 10-12. Students prepared marketing plans for products and services of Michigan’s emerging sectors, and presented them to a panel of "investors" in hopes of being awarded 1M to launch their business. This hands-on annual event introduces high school students to the complexities of the global economy. Don Morandini, Bob Madigan, Susan Bates, Julie Oldham, Nadine Thacker and Cathy Federspiel volunteered their assistance as business coaches and/or presentation evaluators on a mock investors’ panel. The overall consensus of our staff volunteers was unanimous: The students did an amazing job in the short time they had to prepare, and learned many skills that will help them in their future endeavors. March 23, 2011 # The department welcomes Julie Oldham, a Finance and Strategy Specialist with the Michigan Small Business and Technology Development Center, to our office. Julie has extensive experience in accounting. She will work with "second-stage" companies (those with 10 or more employees and more than 1 million in sales) to review financial records to ensure that they are accurate and ready for loan applications. She will also compare those records to industry benchmarks to identify areas for improvement and develop "what-if" scenarios. Welcome Julie March 3, 2011 http://www.macombcountymi.gov/MCPED/Department Happenings/Business Climate Survey Jan 2011 - PDF.pdf Over 500 business leaders responded to this December 2010 survey. Read the analysis and resulting projections for economic development in Macomb County. January 18, 2011 http://www.macombcountymi.gov/mccsa/food.htm It was a busy day at the Macomb Food Program warehouse yesterday! With the support of donors and 55 partner pantries throughout the county, this organization served more than 150,000 individuals in 57,000 households last year. Our department held a drive and contributed more than 125 pounds of food and $200 to this worthy program. December 17, 2010 # Good news for Macomb from the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund! A grant of $205,000 has been recommended to fund improvements at the Nicholson Nature Center located along the Clinton River off Dunham Road. Coupled with private donations from the Nicholson family, the project will include installation of a boardwalk and outdoor classroom as well as trail improvements. Final approval is expected sometime next summer. December 2, 2010 http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Mount-Clemens-MI/Macomb-County-Planning-Economic-Development/147321785313838 Click the link to the left and be sure to "like" us so that you can see our posts. November 30, 2010 Department Happenings/November 2010/GIS 2010 Aerial Photo Announcement.pdf Infrared digital photos are available on the Department's GIS website to view and/or purchase. November 9, 2010 http://macombreference.org/ The department extends a warm welcome to Senior Secretary Joann Priester. The recent merger of the Macomb County Reference & Research Center with the Macomb County Planning & Economic Development Department has resulted in Joann’s relocation to the front office of MCPED. In addition to her duties for the MCRRC, she will assist in keeping our office running smoothly. Welcome, Joann! October 27, 2010 http://misbtdc.org/ A big welcome to Denise Mentzer who joined the department as a Business Counseling Aide for MI-SBTDC earlier this month. Denise arrived just in time to attend a week-long training seminar offered by the SBTDC Academy of Small Business Consultants. The class is one of four which will fully prepare Denise to work with SBTDC Business Counselors and the entrepreneurs whom they assist in starting or expanding a business. October 26, 2010 http://www.umdilabs.com U of M Dearborn's Center for Innovation Research (iLabs) shared the best practices of Michigan's local communities at a luncheon on October 19. The top seven communities were recognized for innovative programs and collaborations that encouraged entrepreneurial growth. Research specialists Cathy Federspiel and Nadine Thacker attended the presentation. October 19, 2010 http://www.semcc.org/ Research specialists Cathy Federspiel and Nadine Thacker attended the Economic Census Data User Conference at SEMCOG headquarters on September 30. Census representatives from the Washington D.C. national Census headquarters demonstrated practical applications of census data for business and local government. TheSoutheast Michigan Census Council sponsored this event. October 19, 2010 http://www.macombcountymi.gov/MCPED/Department Happenings/October 2010/Company Info-Accelerate Michigan Innovation Competition.pdf MCPED, in conjunction with the Macomb-Oakland University Business Incubator, is pleased to announce a business plan competition that offers as much as $250,000 for winning entries. October 6, 2010 http://www.macombcountymi.gov/MCPED/Department Happenings/September 2010/Macomb College Event Looks At ‘New Blue Economy’ « WWJ AM.mht Macomb County Department of Planning & Economic Development was one of the sponsors of the"Southeast Michigan New Blue Economy Seminar; Re-inventing our Economy Using our Water Resources"that was held on Friday September 17th, 2010. Gerard Santoro, Senior planner with the department, was a speaker at the event, which showcased many of the programs, support tools, and technical support that is necessary to forward these plans. Read about the seminarhere September 21, 2010 http://www.leadershipmacomb.org/ John Paul Rea, Associate Planner, was part of a panel for Leadership Macomb's "Government Day" on Thursday, September 16.  Together with Kristen Griftka, John Hejza and Bob Cannon they discussed and answered questions about Regionalism. The focus was on collaboration and how working together gets more done with fewer resources. September 17, 2010