Kevin Reilly, chancellor of UW-Extension, the UW System's primary institution for outreach to the entire state of Wisconsin, has had one extremely important task on his agenda the past year: coordinating the regional planning groups that provide the foundation for the Wisconsin Economic Summit II. Reilly recently spoke with Wisconsin Ideas about his work and what it means for Summit II.

WI: Tell us a little about the planning process for the Summit, and what the UW System institutions are doing to facilitate discussions about Wisconsin's economy.

KR: This is a multifaceted planning process. We began by talking with many of the people who contributed to last year's summit. Under the leadership of Regent President Jay Smith and UW System President Katharine Lyall, we also convened a planning session that provided valuable input and responses from dozens of prominent stakeholders from across the state. My specific job has been to work with people who have been leading regional activities around the state. They will come to the summit prepared to report on their success and to share important findings.

The UW institutions are playing a major role in facilitating and coordinating the process, but they are really conduits for the good work being done by representatives from businesses, governments and communities statewide. It's the input and feedback from those people that will really shape the Summit agenda, strategic recommendations and future actions. The notion of a university-led economic summit may be relatively new, but this is the traditional role of higher education, as purveyors of knowledge and conveners of thoughtful public debate and discussion.

WI: What's different about this process, and the issues being addressed, compared to last year's Summit?

KR: The work has been much more decentralized this year, allowing each region to respond to the unique interests and concerns of their local communities. Last year, the community discussions all focused on a predetermined list of seven issues. Findings from every region were derived using similar processes, and their written reports followed the same content structure. This time around, we're seeing a lot more variety in the ways that regions approach the issues and an emphasis on examining specific issues that impact their region or community. That flexibility and localized approach encourages people to take greater ownership of the project and its outcomes. At the same time, university representatives and business leaders are working with state government officials to craft a series of economic development strategies that will be reviewed by the governor shortly.

WI: Have you seen examples of themes or ideas from last year that carried over into this year's preparations?

KR: Most, if not all, of the issues identified at the 2000 Summit are being addressed in places throughout the state. In some areas people are really focusing in on one or two key topics that are seen as particularly important for their region. This gives them the chance to conceptualize strategies that have the most relevance to the economic challenges in their part of Wisconsin. If you look at the list of major issues from last year, which included things like venture capital, workforce development and infrastructure, they are still pertinent, and provide a fairly comprehensive framework for an examination of the state's economic future. It's interesting to see people pick up on the finer points of those issues, follow the threads and build on the discussion in much greater detail.

WI: Why is this kind of decentralized approach important for the Economic Summit?

KR: Our goal is to map a course toward higher incomes and general economic prosperity for all Wisconsin people. If the findings from this Economic Summit are to have any real value, they must take into account the needs of residents in different parts of the state, and the unique assets and obstacles in various regions. Whether you're mapping out a business strategy or working on technology transfer or a resident interested in a healthy future for your community, people have a greater sense of ownership if they have participated in the process up front. We want people in every part of Wisconsin to feel like they've had a chance to contribute to a meaningful discussion of the state's economic outlook and the steps necessary to improve it.

WI: How will the information from these far-flung efforts find its way into the Summit agenda and relate to some of the other presentations?

KR: That's no small challenge. We began by encouraging these detailed, highly localized discussions and planning efforts. Now we must find a way to corral all of those ideas into a relatively concise agenda. That means that, as we develop that agenda, we are looking for many different ways for those discussions to emerge. Some of the regional work may be used to illuminate the summit's central themes, especially where we can identify a specific success story that evolved from last year's summit and resulted in some new localized economic development activity.

WI: Have you found any opportunities for UW-Extension faculty or staff to collaborate with the campuses in the regional planning process?

KR:Many of our community- and campus-based faculty and staff have community economic development and business planning as major components of their outreach education. They have regularly been contributing to the ongoing discussions over the past year. Given their role as educators and resource people, many of them have been directly involved in economic development work that has taken place in city halls, community centers and corporate boardrooms. Looking toward the summit, UW-Extension will play a prominent role in three of the pre-conference workshops that will address energy, rural economic development and the emergence of high-technology business sectors.

WI: As the University contributes to the ongoing discussion about economic development, does it benefit in any way from the process?

KR: Broadly speaking, it's a tremendous opportunity for us in the University to show how a robust system of public higher education can play many pivotal roles in strengthening and enhancing the state's economy. We are the primary resource for educating workers who will participate in the growth of knowledge-based businesses. In addition to ensuring an adequate supply of potential employees, we can also have a positive impact on spurring the demand for new workers. This will help us stem the "brain drain," and make it possible for our children and grandchildren to find jobs in Wisconsin whose pay will enable them to stay here. As we find new ways to communicate these roles for the University, policy-makers and citizens alike will come to a greater appreciation for what we do, and what we can contribute to the quality of life in Wisconsin.

WI: What's next?

KR: The big challenge here is finding ways to "walk the walk and talk the talk" long after the summit adjourns. That means translating a one-and-a-half-day summit agenda into a long-range list of actionable steps for developing a sound, diversified strategy for real economic growth.