Local Home Building Co-op Earns Prestigious Community and Economic Development Honor

A Toast to Community Impact in Green County

EAU CLAIRE — On a fine day in September, the Wisconsin Economic Development Association (WEDA) proudly proclaimed the Green County Home Construction Cooperative as the winner of the 2024 Community and Economic Development Award (CEDA) in the Community Impact category. This prestigious accolade comes with recognition of a significant contribution to the state’s economy.

Celebrating Economic Advancement

The annual CEDA Awards, held on September 26th in the charming town of Eau Claire, were attended by over 200 economic development professionals. Three distinguished finalists were selected in each of four categories: Business Retention and Expansion, Community Impact, Real Estate Redevelopment and Reuse, and Talent Attraction, Development, and Retention.

Recognizing Innovation and Dedication

The awards aim to recognize those who drive economic growth and prosperity. Kathryn Berger, WEDA Interim President and CEO, captured the essence of the ceremony by saying, “Economic development drives growth and prosperity throughout Wisconsin, attracting capital investment, creating new jobs, and providing an improved quality of life for residents. However, the hard work of economic development professionals is usually under-appreciated and often unrecognized.”

Small Steps, Giant Leaps

In fact, the Green County Home Construction Cooperative epitomizes this spirit. The initiative was born out of necessity to address two pressing issues in Green County: a shortage of skilled trades workers and a dire need for affordable family housing. Finalist projects in this category needed to demonstrate at least one of the following: community’s entrepreneurial ecosystem expansion, quality place-making initiatives, blighted building redevelopment, or downtown workforce housing development.

Updated information and projects selected for the category showcased an impressive range of impacts, noted in sources like [WEDC](https://wedc.org).

Training the Future

The Green County Development Corporation (GCDC) took a commendable approach. Launched through the donation of a vacant home by SSM Health Monroe, the project engaged 16 Monroe High School students in the renovation of this home, providing them hands-on experience crucial for future trade skills. Working in collaboration with local contractors, the students divided their time into one-hour sessions over three days per week. As a result, they gained experience in general construction, plumbing, HVAC, electrical, masonry, and landscaping.

Diverse Contributions

Indeed, this initiative has not only boosted affordable housing but also forged the next generation of skilled trade professionals. Olivia Otte, Executive Director of GCDC, remarked, “We are honored to be recognized alongside the other worthy projects and thank WEDA for this honour.”

Supporting Economic Growth

The 2024 CEDA Awards wouldn’t have been possible without WEDA’s generous partners and sponsors, including the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation; Alliant Energy; Dairyland Power Cooperative; First Ring Industrial Redevelopment Enterprise; Madison Gas & Electric; US Bank; the Wisconsin Economic Development Institute; and Xcel Energy.

About the Wisconsin Economic Development Association

Founded in 1975, WEDA is a statewide non-profit organization dedicated to bolstering Wisconsin’s economy. With over 400 members, it represents the economic development interests of both the private and public sectors through advocacy, education, and leadership on statewide initiatives.

For further reading on WEDA’s initiatives, you can visit [WEDA](https://weda.org).

In this refined and expanded version, additional linked sources and details about WEDA’s other initiatives and support have been incorporated to provide a more comprehensive picture. Furthermore, the article is structured logically with Markdown formatting, making use of headers and bullet points for clarity.