Susan Blansett has 20 years of experience in economic development, and has been consulting in community, economic and workforce development since 1998; she joined R&M Resource Development in 1999. Blansett specializes in strategy, fund-raising and investor/client relations for economic development agencies; she also works regularly in workforce development and has extensive experience in small community/rural development. She is an experienced facilitator, a certified mediator and a frequent economic development clinician. She is experienced in both rural and urban economic development. Among her recent clients:
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Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce (IL) strategy, assessment, $4.3 million campaign and investor relations consulting
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Colorado Rural Development Council, strategy, assessment, focus group facilitation
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City of Fort Collins (CO) strategy related to target industry clusters
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Will County Economic Development Council (Joliet, IL) assessment, strategy, $7 million campaign and investor relations training
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State of Colorado Workforce Development Council (Denver, CO) feasibility analysis for adoption of a statewide work readiness credential program
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Metro Denver Economic Development Corp. (CO) assessment, strategy and fund-raising
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Northern Colorado Economic Development Council (Loveland, CO) assessment, strategy, fund-raising and investor relations
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Snohomish County EDC (Everett, WA) feasibility assessment, management and policy development
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Colorado Association of Commerce and Industry, authored “The Manufacturing Workforce Dilemma in Colorado,” independent research and policy recommendations.
Blansett honed her community/economic development skills in increasingly responsible positions with the Illinois rural electric cooperatives, the Colorado Governor’s office, the Aurora Economic Development Council and the DIA Partnership in Colorado. Clients praise her professionalism, creativity and dedication to customer satisfaction. She earned her MBA from the University of Colorado and her Bachelor’s degree from Western Illinois University. She is a 2006 recipient of a Special Recognition E.D. (Edie) Award conferred by the Economic Developers’ Council of Colorado for contributions to the profession. She enjoys living in Golden, Colorado with husband Mark, two Golden Retrievers and her horse, Windhawk.
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