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Database being formed to bring graduates to rural community

A database of names and backgrounds is being created to help alert area graduates to jobs and draw them back to the region.

Betty Sayers, 62, and Nancy Herhahn, 61, have the backing of the South Platte United Chambers of Commerce Board of Directors, which adopted Business Beyond the Farm as a project on Aug. 12.

"It’s another piece of the economic development puzzle in the South Platte area," said chamber president Don Woodburn.

Sayers and Herhahn are sisters who moved away from Holdrege but have moved back to their hometown.

"You don’t have to be farming to survive in this part of the country," said Herhahn, who retired two years ago from HQ Global Enterprises and most recently lived in San Diego.

Sayers is trying to sell her home in Detroit Lakes, Minn. She has experience in grant writing and has lived mainly in rural areas.

Sayers said she has not been deeply involved in her other communities.

"It’s my heart here," Sayers said. "Rural Nebraska, it has a hold on you some way."

The sisters hope to build a database of 10,000 people who have graduated in the South Platte River region since 1950.

So far, they have about 3,000 names.

Once they have the names and e-mail and mailing addresses, they will send a survey asking alumni about their spouses, occupations, interests and other facts.

Then, they can target alumni who fit certain criteria.

If a business has an engineering job open, they could contact people in the database who had engineering experience and tell them about the opening. Or if a community organized a bird watching event, they could contact people who have an interest in birds.

The sisters also plan to publish a newsletter that will include feature stories about people and businesses and a classifieds section for help wanted-type announcements.

"One of the keys to our success will be to make this a regional base. … It’s the whole region that creates this whole pool," Herhahn said.

So far, Holdrege, Alma and Oxford have signed on for their service. Cambridge officials have agreed to help with mailings, the sisters said.

Six other communities are possibilities.

The sisters are seeking funds or in-kind donations to cover costs. They also are asking for a three-year commitment because they know it will take awhile to get the program established.
Copyright 2003 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/techinnovations/2003-09-04-nebr-database_x.htm

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