FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT:
Katie Allison
Communications Manager
Mid-Minnesota Development Commission Receives Two
National Association of Development Organizations 2024 Impact Awards
Washington, DC, October 24, 2024 – Mid-Minnesota Development Commission (MMDC), which serves Kandiyohi, McLeod, Meeker, and Renville Counties, has received two 2024 Aliceann Wohlbruck Impact Awards from the National Association of Development Organizations (NADO) for their Fare-Free Transit Pilot and Fraud Awareness & Prevention Project.
The Fare-Free Transit Pilot, made possible with generous support from the Willmar Area Community Foundation and with terrific collaboration from Central Community Transit, provided transit bus service, without fare, to riders who boarded and departed the bus at established stops along the community’s bus route, reducing cost barriers and creating efficiencies by encouraging more to use the route, rather than dial-a-ride service.
MMDC’s Fraud Awareness & Prevention Project, made possible with substantial financial support from the Southwest Initiative Foundation, and in cooperation with local law enforcement and the Minnesota River Area Agency on Aging, included the development of materials and workshops to educate the MMDC region’s older residents and those who serve them, on the evolving tactics criminals are using to con people out of their savings. An abbreviated online recording of the workshop is available at mmrdc.org.
NADO is a Washington, DC-based membership association of regional development organizations that promotes programs and policies that strengthen local governments, communities, and economies through regional cooperation, program delivery, and comprehensive strategies. The Impact Awards program recognizes regional development organizations and their partners for improving the economic and community competitiveness of our nation’s regions and local communities.
Award-winning projects were recognized during NADO’s 2024 Annual Training Conference held in New Orleans, LA on October 21 – 24. The 2024 class of award recipients consists of 98 projects from 64 organizations spanning 21 states. These projects are presented in an interactive story map developed by NADO that includes project summaries, partners, and images. The map is available online at nado.org/2024impactawards/.
“NADO’s Impact Awards program offers an opportunity each year to celebrate the meaningful contributions our members make in the regions they serve,” said 2023-2024 NADO President Chris Brown. “This year’s awardees demonstrate the broad spectrum of services provided by regional development organizations. We thank our members for continuing to do this important work that helps build strong, vibrant, and resilient communities.”
The NADO Impact Awards are presented in honor of the late Aliceann Wohlbruck, who served as NADO’s first executive director for 24 years as a tireless champion for regional approaches to economic development in rural communities.
For more information about these award-winning projects, contact MMDC Executive Director Eric Day at [email protected].
About NADO
The National Association of Development Organizations (NADO) promotes public policies that strengthen local governments, communities, and economies through the regional strategies, coordination efforts, and program expertise of the nation’s regional development organizations. Learn more about NADO at www.nado.org.