Out West Podcasts- The Western Governors’ Reimagining the Rural West Initiative

This episode of Out West kicks off a series about the Western Governors’ Reimagining the Rural West Initiative, the Chairman’s Initiative of North Dakota Governor and WGA Chair Doug Burgum. Each episode will highlight different aspects of the Initiative, examining challenges and opportunities in rural economic development, infrastructure and quality of life in the West. Today, Gov. Burgum talks about why he chose to pursue this Initiative.

Out West‘s sophomore episode continues our series about Reimagining the Rural West, the Chairman’s Initiative of North Dakota Governor and WGA Chair Doug Burgum, which highlights challenges and opportunities in rural economic development, infrastructure and quality of life in the West. Today, WGA Policy Advisor Laura Cutlip discusses ways to rewrite the predominantly negative narrative that often surrounds rural communities. She’s joined by Ben Winchester, a rural sociologist from the University of Minnesota Center for Community Vitality; and Jennifer Groth, Policy and Partnerships Manager at Rural Development Initiatives.

The latest episode of WGA’s Out West explores the use of “placemaking” by rural community leaders to capitalize on local assets and create environments where people want to live, work and play. Join WGA Policy Advisor Laura Cutlip in a discussion with: Daved Lundeen, Executive Director of the North Dakota-based Williston Downtowners Association; Kim Konikow, Executive Director of the North Dakota Council on the Arts; and Melvin Juanico, Operations Manager for the Sky City Cultural Center and Haak’u Museum in New Mexico.