Events
All these events are meant to be intellectual collisions — that is, events where disagreement is not only expected but encouraged. All the issues are complex, perhaps taking a whole generation to achieve. We hope to bring people together who may disagree at first about how to proceed. Out of that we will achieve some consensus of what to do next in accordance with GWC’s bias for action.
The leadership team of GWC is also, as of this posting, organizing a first Advisory Council. We will pose strategic questions for this group and seek their advice about how to proceed with the mission.
Health & Wellness
Lead from GWC team:
Christine Hanson
This topic is at the heart of what GWC considers the Wellness Corridor and there is an ongoing obligation to give it due attention. A focus group is being put together to decide on next steps.
Water
Lead from GWC team:
Curt Johnson
This initiative is just in the founding stages, though GWC expects that water will be a target for areas of the U.S. that continue to be starved of water, but also a problem, as more cities in the Upper Midwest discover that the quality and quantity of drinking water that they have always assumed would be there is yet another problem.
Commerce Mobility
Lead from GWC team:
Bill Goins
With the central question of: How much freight is going by truck to Chicago, for international distribution? GWC is partnering with the SRF Consulting group in hosting three events this year. The first was held, mostly via Microsoft Teams, February 23, 2023. There followed an event, again hosted by SRF at its Golden Valley conference room, April 14, 2023. The final event around this question will be May 18, 2023 at the same site. And at all the events, GWC is assembling the deciders — from the private and public sectors — to examine the question and consider alternatives that might help to add to the Wellness Corridor in the Upper Midwest. At GWC we hope to come out of this event with a consensus for the next step, which probably requires some research project.