This weekend a delegation of 80 business and community leaders from Greater Mankato will be traveling to Columbia, Missouri as part of the fourth InterCity Leadership Visit. While there the group, made up of individuals from the private, community based, nonprofit and public sectors, will study innovative ideas and best practices that may be adapted to the Greater Mankato region.

As we travel throughout the city of Columbia we will be taking part in a number of sessions with Columbia’s key community and business leaders. These sessions align with the strategic goals and priorities established within our Envision 2020 community visioning efforts which helped frame the agenda for this trip. The sessions include the following topics:

• Economic Development Strategies & Partnerships
• Talent Development, Attraction & Retention Initiatives
• Health Care
• Downtown Development & Cultural Affairs
• Agriculture & Education
• Sports Facilities

The purpose of each InterCity Leadership Visit is to bring together a group of leaders from the community to help advance the collective good of the Greater Mankato region. It is by taking part in these strategic sessions, witnessing the vitality of the Columbia marketplace and coming together to address challenges and opportunities for Greater Mankato that we can gather ideas, experiences and best practices that can be implemented in our own community.

For more information on our upcoming trip to Columbia, Missouri read our recent press release here.

Throughout the trip we’ll be live tweeting and sharing photos of our experiences. To follow along with the trip on social media use hashtag #gmgiclv.