ABOUT | 09' LEADERSHIP RETREAT | PAST DELEGATIONS

PURPOSE

Greater Mankato Leadership Delegation (formerly ICLV), consists of bringing a group of Greater Mankato's  leaders together or conducting a trip to another U.S. city to study specific, identified issues. Participants study applicable best practices first-hand, as well as challenges and opportunities to overcome. Greater Mankato’s leadership delegation is the first such leadership project undertaken by a tier-two community in Minnesota.

The destination is carefully selected based on identified goals and issues to be studied. Our local community needs are taken into account along with similar community characteristics such as population, higher education institutions, industry, agricultural influences, medical facilities, proximity to a metropolitan area.

The Leadership Delegation is an invitation-only event. Delegates are invited who represent various communities and sectors – business, nonprofit, government, religious, etc. Delegates develop and strengthen relationships throughout the trip. This also contributes to stronger working relationships and community ties.

GOALS

1. Explore challenges and opportunities

2. Continue to strengthen connections

3. Rejuvenate and refeul

ISSUES FOR STUDY

The theme for April's leadership retreat is "Strong Leadership During Challenging Times." The sessions in the retreat will revolve around finding opportunities throughout our challenging times and what that means to the various sectors within our community.

Part of the focus will be a understanding the priorities and updates essential to Envision2020, which became the new community vision and strategic planning process to follow ACT 2000, which began in the mid 1980s. Mankato and North Mankato were nationally recognized for ACT 2000, their long-range planning process.

Envision 2020 stakeholders have identified six major topics that are guiding the strategic planning process. In addition to redevelopment and revitalization of the community’s city center and riverfront -- the top issue identified by the 2005 ICLV – the main focal issues from were taken from Envision 2020 mission:

• Transportation

• Economic Development

• Livability

• Community Planning/Regional Governance

• Health and Human Services

• Education

  
  

This year's areas of focus were chosen based on outcomes from previous trips and identified by the planning committee as essential objectives that would benefit the community.

“The purpose of the ICLV is to bring together community leaders to advance the collective good of our community.  We believe a change in format and location this year will enable us to bring together a greater cross section of our community to address relevant topics currently impacting the Greater Mankato region,”

      -David Naples | the ICLV Planning Committee Chair

“While Burlington is a great destination for future regional planning, it is more important right now to gather our leadership delegation to focus on more immediate topics of importance to our area.”

       -Barb Embacher | Vice President of Greater Mankato Growth