This is an exciting time for rural advocates in Michigan. Two rural focused organizations have joined forces in order to better serve communities. CEDAM is pleased to announce that the Rural Partners of Michigan and the Michigan Rural Network have merged to create the Michigan Rural Council (MRC). For several years, these two organizations have both been working on behalf of rural places. This merger is a consolidation of both groups’ efforts and will create a more streamlined approach to addressing rural Michigan’s issues.
The MRC is poised to take part in the growing conversations about rural development in Michigan. Governor Snyder has elevated rural development into the spotlight by explicitly adding it to the title of the Michigan Department of Agriculture, now titled Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development. In addition agri-tourism, agriculture and rural infrastructure were discussed in the recent State of the State address. MRC members are excited to serve as partners and resources in the work to make rural Michigan a great place to live.
Representatives from each organization worked together to develop a shared mission and vision for the Rural Council. We hope you will join us in pursuit of these ideals.
Our Mission: The Michigan Rural Council connects and educates community leaders, provides expertise and advocates for policy and projects to impact rural Michigan.
Our Vision: The Michigan Rural Council is a bridge between leaders and communities to revitalize and enhance rural Michigan.
We hope you will join us in this work! As part of the MRC, you will have the opportunity to participate in one of our issue-based working groups. MRC convenes groups around specific areas including broadband, housing, economic development, rural philanthropy, transportation and more. If you would like to be involved in action oriented projects designed to benefit rural communities, a working group is the place to be! The Rural Council will also continue to offer bi-monthly meetings. These meetings not only give you the chance to meet and converse with other community leaders and rural advocates, but each meeting also provides an in-depth discussion of a topic related to rural community building. Finally, MRC will distribute a monthly electronic newsletter filled with rural news, policy updates, funding alerts and more. You can stay up to date by having this resource delivered directly to your inbox.
If you would like to learn more about the Michigan Rural Council, browse the website at www.michiganruralcouncil.org or call at 517-485-3588. We invite you to get involved today!