DATA SOUGHT ABOUT REGION’S EMERGING LEADERS
Clare Richards, St. Cloud Rotaract Member and pictured left, has been involved in several projects and groups with emerging leaders in the Central MN region. Through these experiences, Clare has developed a curiosity around the motivations that drive her peers to perform in their careers. As our region experiences increased turnover, fewer applicants, and workforce challenges, the question remains: What drives young people to engage and perform?
The GSDC has partnered with Clare to gather data through the Emerging Leaders Survey. We are asking all of you to consider sharing this survey with your colleagues and employees. The survey should take 5-10 minutes to complete and is completely anonymous. The more responses we get, the more accurate the resulting data will be. We’re excited to share some insights that may help you create a workplace that attracts young leaders.
Please note: “emerging leader” does not indicate any specific age, but rather a self-assessment: does the participant consider themselves to either be somewhat early in their given profession or a few years away from entering that profession? Anyone from a high school student to a CEO might qualify as an emerging leader.
INTERESTING LOCAL HOUSING MARKET STATS FOR 2021
The number of homes for sale in the Greater St. Cloud region declined 26.3%, with closed sales decreasing 10.5%, from November 2020 to November 2021. During that same period, median sales price increased just 2.2% in the area.
The most significant increase in new home construction during that year happened in Sartell (93 housing starts in 2021 vs. 48 in 2020), with St. Cloud experiencing a slight decline (99 vs. 107).
Those statistics from the SCAAR and CMBA were part of an interesting presentation that King Banaian, Dean of SCSU’s School of Public Affairs, recently gave at a CMBA Government Affairs Committee meeting.
Dr. Banaian said three trends of 2021 that builders should now consider are that work-from-home is becoming more common, people are choosing less entertainment and dining out, and many 55–69-year-olds are retired – at least for now.
Dr. Banaian and his colleague, Dr. Rich MacDonald, conduct research and provide detailed analysis when producing the St. Cloud Area Quarterly Business Report, which the GSDC is proud to sponsor. To view the December 2021 QBR or previous editions, click here.
AROUND CLOUD TUTORS HELPED 289 STUDENTS IN FIRST YEAR
As the pandemic was unfolding in 2020, investors and community members approached GSDC to lend a hand in tackling the struggles their employees were facing with distance learning while maintaining their own full time job. Educational partners quickly jumped on board to help the GSDC explore this challenge our local employers were experiencing. Supporting employer retention and the well-being of employees during and outside the workday is crucial. Offering virtual tutoring services to our employers provided a tool to strengthen employee retention which is ever critical during this tight job market.
Through this collaboration, January 11, 2022 marks one year since the launch of Around Cloud Tutors, a free, virtual tutoring service for K-12 students in the St. Cloud region. In 2021, Around Cloud Tutors served 289 unique students through the time and efforts of 37 area tutors who provided 300 volunteer hours. Other metrics are shown in the graphic on the left.
Around Cloud Tutors continues to provide free tutoring services. To sign up for a session, visit www.aroundcloudtutors.org. Questions? Email aroundcloudtutors@gmail.com.
DEED DISCUSSES DEVELOPMENT WITH GSDC AND OTHERS JAN. 14
Manufacturing and innovation were highlighted in a January 15 virtual discussion between the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development and representatives from the GSDC and other area organizations.
In case you missed the front-page story in the January 15 St. Cloud Times, here it is again.
REMINDER: NO IN-PERSON ANNUAL MEETING ON FEB. 3
Due to COVID considerations, the GSDC will not hold our in-person Annual Meeting for Investors and Partners scheduled for February 3. Instead, please watch your inbox early that month for our annual report and a video with 2021 highlights, investor comments and what we’re looking forward to in 2022.
Thank you all for your investments to make our development work on your behalf possible.
UPCOMING EVENTS
- St. Cloud Area Chamber of Commerce 2022 Legislative Session Preview: Wednesday, January 19
- Higher Works Collaborative 3rd Annual Black Excellence Expo: February 18 – 19
Contact Our Staff Team
Patti Gartland, President
pgartland@greaterstcloud.com | 320-260-2442
Leslie Dingmann, Business Development Director
ldingmann@greaterstcloud.com | 320-493-9003
Gail Cruikshank, Talent Director
gcruikshank@greaterstcloud.com | 320-260-6775
Amelia Barkley, Communications & Program Specialist
abarkley@greaterstcloud.com | 320-292-9296