Nick Smith | Williston Herald Warren Sundet of the Mercy Medical Foundation, left, listens as Williston Chamber of Commerce executive director Diane Hagen speaks about upcoming networking meetings in Arizona to be held on behalf of Hometown Williston. Jim Yockim of the Bethel Lutheran Foundation is to her right.
The purpose of the meetings is to gather former residents and those with Williston ties in the Phoenix area with the intent of meeting and strengthening those ties. Hometown Williston also wants to keep Phoenix-area people informed on local events and encourage visitation or relocation here to pursue a job or investment.
The first meeting is the evening of Feb. 12 at the home of Leroy Anseth, a retired Williston attorney. The following evening, an event is to be hosted by Sue and Dennis Hoffelt and Gordon Postovit, all retired residents.
Hometown Williston is a group whose goal is to build and maintain relationships and connections of former residents as well as their families, friends and school alumni.
Williston Economic Development director Tom Rolfstad said trying to strengthen the city by keeping in touch with people having local ties is an important task. He said contacting these people wherever they are can help spread the word about Williston. "They're probably our best ambassadors. We care about our former residents, from getting them to visit or to even move back. Most communities aren't as proactive," said Rolfstad.
Jim Yockim of the Bethel Lutheran Foundation said it may seem a long way to go to encourage such activity, but there is a high concentration of locals in the Phoenix area. He said these meetings could spur someone from the area to relocate to join in the strong workforce and economy in western North Dakota.
"A number of them spend their winters in Arizona, so we think Phoenix is a great place to go. We think there are a lot of people in that area who could come back and help with growth and investments," said Yockim.
Warren Sundet of the Mercy Medical Foundation agreed with Rolfstad's statement on spreading the word through former residents. He said such networking can be a valuable tool in attracting people to take jobs in areas such as the hospital.
"Our conversation may not have a former resident want to come back based on that conversation; they may not be a trained medical professional. But they might know someone who is and mention our community," said Sundet.
He said such things traveling by word-of-mouth can help fill all kinds of jobs that are difficult to recruit for in Williston.
Williston Chamber of Commerce executive director Diane Hagen said keeping in touch with former residents is important for maintaining growth and investment in the community. She said it's important to make sure people with ties to Williston keep portfolios with local banks and maintain interest in area investments.
Hagen said the overall goal is to try to use all resources, whether local or out of state, to maintain the strong position the city finds itself in today.
"There are just some absolutely wonderful things happening right now. When you're riding high, it's important to let others know what's going on in our community," said Hagen.
Anyone interested in attending either of the Arizona meetings is asked to RSVP by Feb. 11 by calling Williston Economic Development at 577-8110. Those interested are asked to do so as early as possible so travel arrangements can be made.
For more information on Hometown Williston, visit www.hometownwilliston.com.
Comments
Old resident wrote on Feb 14, 2010 11:01 AM:
Williston Resident wrote on Feb 10, 2010 9:24 AM:
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