Paige Meyer recently completed an internship with the Upper Minnesota Valley Regional Development Commission. This is what she had to say about the experience.
Throughout my time here at the UMVRDC, I have been exposed to many fields of work and new experiences. My main job is to work with City Clerks, City Managers, or City Administrators for all the towns in our region to provide a place to showcase the vacant lots. By conveniently having an easy and accessible website for businesses to look at potential locations, these vacant lots are much more likely to be exposed and sold. From this area of my work alone, I’ve learned the importance of good communication and diligent work ethic. When working with information about properties, the smallest mistake in entering the wrong number could cost an owner a potential buyer. Apart from my day-to-day tasks, the employees at the UMVRDC took me under their wing to teach me about their jobs. I’ve learned information about marketing and how we are trying to reach a broader audience to get more people to move here. Marketing is an important aspect of any organization. It is what brings awareness to important issues, enables you to get feedback from citizens, and helps brand the company or community in the light they want to be seen in. As for another important branch of the UMVRDC, Small Cities is an area of focus that works directly with supplying funds to small towns that desperately need the funding but don’t have the capacity to raise it on their own.They work with updating housing for low-income families, small businesses, and even water towers. This is an important job because if not for them, our towns would be in a lot tougher shape than what they are in now. Aside from marketing and Small Towns, I got to work a lot with Community Planners. Their job ranges far and wide in terms of the projects they work on. From transportation to hazard mitigation to comprehensive plans to OHV parks. The list could go on. One commonality I found in the planning field is that they all heavily rely on the feedback of the people they areaffecting and the connections they have with partners. Without the help of others and knowledge of locals, not too much can be accomplished on their own. My time here has also allowed me to sit in on important meetings and the opportunities to attend info sessions. The city of Madison has recently been working on a comprehensive plan, and because I was able to sit in, I learned more in depth about how planning meetings are conducted and how decisions are made for towns. Another learning opportunity I had was when Kevin and I went to listen about how to apply for demolition grants for DEED. Overall, I am very grateful for the opportunity to have been an intern for the UMVRDC and the experiences and knowledge that I can take away with me.