Quality is key

Quality of life” has become the hot buzz phrase throughout the northern Plains as businesses and communities race to roll out their red carpets for newcomers. By now, our area has become synonymous with nearly nonexistent unemployment rates and strong economies, but it also struggles against the stigma of cold winters and isolated communities. So while the prospect of a good paying job in a stable community is attractive, potential new residents often need more than a job offer to make them want to live here, and forward-thinking community and business leaders have become increasingly focused on quality of life improvements to make the region more attractive to newcomers, as well as existing residents.

For “Designing a Better Life,” we talked to landscape architects in the region who are doing their part to improve the quality of life for communities through thoughtful, allencompassing design. I think readers may be as surprised as I was to learn the extent to which the concept of “quality of life” plays in landscape architecture and the long-lasting impact those projects have on that purpose Ever y part of landscape architecture is meant to enhance and improve a space environmentally, functionally and aesthetically the result of which is a place where memories are made. We need more of these spaces in our communities if we are to attract and retain the talent we need to support our strong economies, and landscape architects are eager to help fill the need

Our cover photo this month showcases Northland Community and Technical College’s unmanned aerial systems (UAS) program. The UAS industr y is considered to be the frontier of aviation and our region truly is at the forefront of the frontier, fitting for an area settled years ago by pioneers willing to take chances on new opportunities Several years ago, NCTC became the first college in the U.S. to offer UAS maintenance training (the University of North Dakota was the first to offer UAS pilot training) and the school has continued to expand its UAS training offerings to meet the emerging demand for skilled workers in the industr y. This month, the Red River Valley Research Corridor will host the 8th annual UAS Summit in Grand Forks, N.D., where industr y stakeholders from around the world are expected to come together to discuss the specifics of launching the industr y via applications in a number of sectors, including agriculture and energy, and our region has expertise in ever y targeted sector in addition to higher education. Read “The Frontier of UAS Education” to learn more about NCTC ’ s programs and where UAS training is headed next

Collaboration and team effort are also on display in this issue’s Talk of the Town, which spotlights beautiful Bemidji, Minn. The lakeside city has developed an enviable entrepreneurial community and continues to come up with new ideas to foster growth and encourage new ventures When other communities are just beginning to roll out long-term entrepreneurial support plans and workforce recruitment and retention strategies, Bemidji is already doing it. Business and community leaders are working in sync to meet their goals and say that’s the reason for Bemidji’s healthy rate of activity and anticipated continued growth and innovation Read “In it together” for more

KORRIE WENZEL, Publisher

RONA JOHNSON, Executive Editor

KRIS BEVILL, Editor

BETH BOHLMAN, Circulation Director

KRIS WOLFF, Layout Design, Ad Design

Sales Director: JOHN FETSCH

701 212 1026 jfetsch@prairiebizmag com

Sales:

BRAD BOYD - western ND/western SD 800 641 0683 bboyd@prairiebizmag com

SHELLY LARSON - eastern ND/western MN 701 866 3628 slarson@prairiebizmag com

Editor: KRIS BEVILL

701 306 8561 kbevill@prairiebizmag com

Editorial Advisors:

Dwaine Chapel, Executive Director, Research Park at South Dakota State University; Bruce Gjovig, Director, Center for Innovation; Lisa Gulland-Nelson, Vice President, Marketing and PR , Greater Fargo Moorhead EDC; Tonya Joe

(T.J.) Hansen, Assistant Professor of Economics, Minnesota State University Moorhead; Dusty Johnson, Chief of Staff for South Dakota Gov Dennis Daugaard’s office; Brekka Kramer, General Manager of Odney; Matthew Mohr, President/CEO, Dacotah Paper Company; Nancy Straw, President, West Central Initiative

Prairie Business magazine is published monthly by the Grand Forks Herald and Forum Communications Company with offices at 375 2nd Avenue North, Grand Forks, ND 58203

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