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Smart Rural Seminars - Agenda

Please note this agenda is subject to change. The agendas are the same for both dates, with speakers and session topics slightly different. Get each session description's here.

Agenda-At-A-Glance

Coffee, lunch, light snacks and refreshments will be served throughout the day.

8:00 a.m.

Networking & Coffee

Welcome & Opening Remarks

    Tom Pagel, City of Grand Rapids

Investing in Rural 

    Commissioner Ida Rukavina, Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation 

8:50 a.m.

Session 1: Driving Equity in Rural Communities 

  • Accessible Transportation in Rural  - Mary Magnuson, Blandin Foundation; Frank Douma, University of Minnesota; Myrna Peterson, Mobility Mania

  • goMARTI - Minnesota’s Autonomous Rural Transit Initiative - Thomas Johnson-Kaiser, MNDOT

  • AV Microtransit Insights and On the Ground Learnings from Deployments - Daisy Wall, May Mobility; Mychael Mulhern, May Mobility

10:40 a.m.

Session 2: Workforce Innovations in Rural​

  • Career and Technical Education in Rural and connecting goMARTI to MN North - Jessalyn Sabin, Minnesota North

  • Customized Training at Minnesota North  - Trent Janezich, Minnesota North

  • AspireNorth - Claire Peterlin, Minnesota North

  • Central Lakes College: Electrifying and Connecting the Next Generation of Power Sports Technicians  - Rebekah Kent, Central Lakes College

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11:35 a.m.

Lunch & Networking

12:35 p.m.

Session 3: Future-Proofing Your Rural Community 

  • Opportunity Thinking - Tammy Meehan-Russell, The PLUM Catalyst

1:00 p.m. 

Session 4: Rural Transportation Innovations - Natalie Villwock-Witte, Western Transportation Institute (WTI) at Montana State University (MSU)

1:20 p.m.

Session 5: Resources for Rural Transportation

  • Catalyzing Development through Transportation: Resources for Your Local Transit Agency Partners  - Erich Lange, Community Transportation Association of America; Andrew Carpenter, National Center for Applied Transit Technology

2:05 p.m.

Session 6: Creating Technology Ecosystems

  • IRRR - The Fourth T - Whitney Ridlon, IRRR

  • The Role of Supportive and Welcoming Communities  - Amber Lewis, Northspan; Julie Hawker, Outsource Training Associates

  • Broadband Partnerships - Amanda Othoudt, Benton Economic Partnerships, Inc

  • Workforce Partnerships MNTCC Overview - Morgan Fritzinger, Minnesota Tribal Contractors Council

3:00 p.m.

Session 7: Electrifying & Rural Recharge

    Rural Charging Forward: EV Charging and Workforce Development

  • Jon Sullivan, Minnesota Power

  • Robert Blake, Native Sun

  • Justin Johnson, The PLUM Catalyst

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4:30 - 6:30 p.m.

Social Hour & Meet the Speakers

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