MATR Newsletter – April 2, 2021
The state with the best education wins!

“Spend any length of time traveling around Montana, and you will understand what all that “purple mountain majesties” is all about. You will be stunned, stunned and silenced by the breathtaking, magnificent beauty of Montana’s wide open spaces. ”

Anthony Bourdain

Come Home Montana

• Montana Career Opportunity – Chief Operating Officer – Montana Food Bank Network

  The Chief Operations Officer (COO) is a proven leader that is skilled at developing people, processes and teams. The COO is responsible for the oversight of all Montana Food Bank Network operations including food distribution, logistics, inventory, food and workplace safety, compliance, and facilities and fleet management.

• Whitehall Community Planning Request for Proposal

  The community of Whitehall, MT is requesting the assistance of a qualified firm to develop a master plan to guide local decision makers, ensuring that the community can grow while maintaining its unique character, which is attractive to both residents and visitors.

MEDA -Montana Economic Developers Association

• Flathead employers face staffing shortage, virtual workforce events planned

  Mariman said another big issue is the Flathead’s housing pinch.

• New statewide website highlights earn-while-you-learn opportunities for young adults in Montana

  This idea to “earn while you learn” benefits both the student exploring a particular industry, and the employer who’s looking for skilled workers.

• Next Frontier Capital Announces Successful Close of $80m Fund III

  With investments in Colorado, Utah, and Montana and experience scaling companies from concept to exit, the Next Frontier team is dedicated to working with mission-driven teams working on innovations in business applications, deep tech, cloud computing, and data analytics.

• Envision Missoula’s West Broadway: Participate in the Virtual Master Plan April 5-9

  The City of Missoula is undertaking a public engagement effort April 5-9th, 2021 for the redevelopment of the Westside Broadway corridor, from Russell to California between Broadway and the River, and the public is encouraged to provide input and participate in the process.

• No foolin’ – MEDA April Online News

  Please start your day by checking out the MEDA April News.  The April calendar is very busy.

• Montana Businesses, Employees Struggle to Work Through Childcare Shortage

  Study reveals only a third of kids in Flathead County have access to a licensed childcare provider; rising costs forcing some families to choose between career and kids

• TED Talk – The counterintuitive way to be more persuasive

  What’s the best way to make a good point? Organizational psychologist Niro Sivanathan offers a fascinating lesson on the “dilution effect,” a cognitive quirk that weakens our strongest cases — and reveals why brevity is the true soul of persuasion.

Next Generation Broadband in Montana

• Seven Communities Tapped as Broadband Expansion Testbeds

  A partnership among US Ignite, the National Science Foundation and Schmidt Futures has selected seven projects in both rural and urban areas to expand Internet access and help close the digital divide.

Montana Governor Greg Gianforte

• Montana Governor Gianforte Says He Will Sign Anti-LGBTQ+ “Religious Freedom” Bill Into Law

  “Montana will not truly be open for business until it is open for all, and as Governor he has a responsibility to uphold the values of fairness, dignity, and equality for all Montanans.”

Housing

• Where Should the Locals in Montana Live?

  A measure sailing through the Montana Legislature would gut Whitefish’s affordable housing program, which was crafted to fix a critical workforce shortage undermining the mountain community’s allure

Visit Montana

• Glacier National Park Unveils Ticketed Entry System for Sun Road

  COVID-19 mitigations, road construction and a pent-up demand for travel are several factors that prompted the new strategy to manage congestion problems in and around the park

Funding and Building your Business

• How To Grow A $1 Billion Company With Zero Outside Help In Less Than Ten Years

  Most tech unicorns are the product of Silicon Valley’s well-oiled VC machine—but Cloudinary’s instantly successful idea made it profitable from day one and it now boasts an almost billion-dollar valuation.

• 5 questions that impress hiring managers

  When it’s time for you to ask your interviewer some questions, you should make them count.

Wyoming Business

• Wyoming’s economic recovery slowed by mining decline

  “Other industries will recover and are recovering, but we have such a big proportion of that mineral industry here. So, because that industry’s recovery is so slow, our overall economic improvement will be slower than many other states,”

2021 Montana Legislature and Politics

• President Biden Wants You Out of Your Car and on the Train – Please Support The Big Sky Passenger Rail Authority In Montana.

  The president’s $2 trillion infrastructure proposal boosts funding for buses and rail. It even envisions actually tearing down some freeways.

• Montana bill aims to limit nonprofit land buys; opponents see infringement on property rights

  That was the one thing both opponents and proponents seemed to agree on — the bill would stop ag land sales.

Government News & Events

• How your gas stove sparked a battle over climate change

  Some cities want to ban new gas hookups

North Dakota Business and Economic Development

• The Promises and Pitfalls of a Modern-Day Boomtown – Williston, North Dakota

  A decade ago, Williston, N.D., became a magnet for desperate men, thanks to oil in the Bakken Formation. In an interview, author Michael Smith talks about life in an oil patch and the human cost of fueling the nation.

Transportation

• Tonight! – Missoula car owners to host electric car show and rally – 5:30 – Downtown Missoula

  “Ninety five percent of the driving most people do is right here where you live,” Flanagan said. “So, whether it’s Butte, Great Falls, Helena, Missoula, Bozeman, most of your driving is around town and what we find is that most people drive less than 20 miles a day. So, it’s a good deal for those people.”

Cool Stuff That’s Coming

• Bioplastic from lumber mill wood powder that can degrade entirely in three months

  A simple manufacturing process generates biomass-based plastics from the wood powder typically found at lumber mills

Energy and Climate Change

• Two Cities Share How AI Is Improving Their Water Utilities

  As local water departments look to modernize their infrastructure with available technology, several cities are already laying out a model that utilizes artificial intelligence.

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