HITTING THE GROUND RUNNING. Six major Dunn County entities pooled resources earlier this year in order to appoint someone as the Director of Economic Development in Dunn County. That role was filled as of September by Adam Accola, pictured.

Earlier this year, six Dunn County entities, including UW-Stout, decided to pool their resources together to fund a first-ever position: director of economic development. Officially filling that role as of September is Adam Accola, former manager of The Coven in Eau Claire.

After five years of managerial and administrative work for The Coven (formerly CoLab), a co-working space largely focused on start-ups and entrepreneurs, Accola is hitting the ground running in the first-time role for Dunn County.

Created and fully funded by the City of Menomonie, Dunn County, UW-Stout, the Dunn County Economic Development Corporation, the Greater Menomonie Development Corporation, and the Stout Technology and Business Park, the new role is uniquely positioned as a bridge between these entities. The main focuses of the position include retention and expansion of current businesses; developing new businesses, including start-ups; fostering the development of new housing; and attracting businesses.

“Transparency is a big reason why they wanted to connect their organizations together through this role,” Accola said. “They understand the long-range vision rather than just the immediate needs or what any one person wants.”

In a recent media release, UW-Stout Chancellor Katherine Frank said the new position is not only about attracting new business to the region but also working with existing businesses and providing streamlined resources.

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ALL THIS ENERGY IS FINALLY BEING CHANNELED BY NEW, ENERGIZED PEOPLE READY TO DRIVE WESTERN WISCONSIN FORWARD.

ADAM ACCOLA

DIRECTOR OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN DUNN COUNTY

The stage is largely set for the area to both retain and attract more people, ultimately bolstering its economic development, Accola said. In speaking with business owners in municipalities throughout the county, he found a simple consensus: They just want more people visiting their shops and towns.

“Historically in Wisconsin, our rural communities are overlooked – especially by Milwaukee and Madison, which are our largest population centers – so I’m making sure that I can make an impact in Dunn County where I’m loud enough that those areas are paying attention and see what’s going on here,” Accola said.

Through the end of this year, Accola is focused on building his network in Dunn County. After working with entrepreneurs for five years, Accola said it became clear his passion was for connecting people with the resources they need to thrive. That translates directly to his new role.

Ultimately, he aims to be the connector between businesses and people, and the resources they need.

“I’m not afraid to admit that I don’t know everything. There are so many different ways you can do economic development, so many different prescriptions to solve problems, but none of them are a one-size-fits-all approach,” he said. "I may not be the one that’s going to be able to directly help answer your question, but I’m trying to build a network of resources so I know who can do that and who can help you faster.”

Though the position itself is new for Dunn County, surrounding areas are being led by fresh faces as well, including the St. Croix EDC and Pierce EDC. 

The literal connection between Menomonie and Dunn County and other metro areas via Interstate 94 is a strength, Accola said, as are UW-Stout and and the county’s proximity to other higher education institutes. The region’s three four-year universities and two technical colleges have a combined enrollment of 30,000 to 40,000 students, about 12,000 of whom are graduating each year. He surmised the more students retained and using their degrees to support local communities, the better.

Considering he holds a brand-new position serving an array of big players in the county, Accola admitted he was not sure what exact environment he would be walking into. He was put at ease when he found that every entity – including his direct employer, UW-Stout – not only was on board with the new partnership but also was willing and able to share their resources toward a common goal.

“As far as we know, this is the only job structure for an economic development role like this in the state of Wisconsin,” Accola said. “There hasn’t been a UW school that’s taken the lead like Stout has to assist in hiring a community-based position.

“For all intents and purposes, Stout is my employer, but I work in service of the city and county which will benefit the university.”

Though the position itself is new for Dunn County, surrounding areas are being led by fresh faces as well: the St. Croix Economic Development Corporation appointed Melissa Meschke as its new executive director at the start of the year; Pierce County EDC named Lauren Highfill as its new executive director in September as well; and Accola came into his new role with existing positive relationships with Luke Hanson, Eau Claire County EDC director, and Charlie Walker, Chippewa County EDC director.

“I’m very excited,” Accola said of his appointment. “All this energy is finally being channeled by new, energized people ready to drive Western Wisconsin forward.”

Adam Accola can be reached at accolaa@uwstout.edu and works out of the UW-Stout Office of Corporate Relations and Economic Engagement • Learn more about the creation of the new Dunn County economic development role in this media release