Tri-State event set for McCook

Economic development through entrepreneurship will be the topic of discussion at this year's Tri-State Initiative Conference in McCook.

The conference, scheduled for Thursday and Friday, Sept. 11 and 12, will be in conjunction with the ribbon cutting and dedication of McMillen Hall, the Hormel Technology Center and the Center for Advance Studies at McCook Community College at 10 a.m. Thursday.

The keynote speaker for Friday's luncheon will be Don Macke, co-director of the Center for Rural Entrepreneurship. The topic of his address will be Energizing Entrepreneurship in Rural America.

U.S. Senator Ben Nelson has been invited to speak during the banquet at 6 p.m., Friday.

At 8:30 a.m., on Friday, Craig Schroeder , senior associated of the Center for Rural Entrepreneurship will speak on growing a new product in an ag economy.

Breakaway session topics will include creating community wealth through entrepreneurship, building communities through building people, energizing entrepreneurs in rural communities, and Grow Nebraska.

Youth sessions will include a new look at the world, so what's stopping you?, research method, networking for beginners and Education -- what you need to know and where to learn it.

Tickets for the conference, including the Friday night banquet are $75. Tickets for the banquet only are $30 and tickets for the conference plus membership in the Tri State Initiative are $100.

For more information about the event, contact Vicky Leibrandt at the Nelson Institute, (308) 345-6303 ext. 1124 or Stepanie Dorothy at ext. 1125.