Press Releases & Media

Press Releases

 

June 2, 2010

National Broadband Industry Expert to Assist CSU-Chico’s California Broadband Planning Project

Bringing an additional dimension of expertise to California’s broadband planning efforts, Oakland, CA-based industry analyst and strategy consultant Craig Settles teams with CSU-Chico to help create a blueprint for advancing broadband in the state.
 
CSU-Chico has contracted with Craig Settles, President of Successful.com and Co-Director of Communities United for Broadband for his industry knowledge and skills in developing business strategies for community networks that improve local economies.    Settles’ consultant role with CSU-Chico includes both high-level and in-depth critical analysis of data gathered by CSU-Chico on various communities’ projects, methods and initiatives that are facilitating broadband adoption throughout the state.  
 
Settles’ assistance will help CSU-Chico uncover and document trends, patterns, and best practices that can be used to further support the ongoing broadband adoption efforts throughout the state.  Mr. Settles also will assist CSU-Chico in promoting  this information to counties, cities and towns to aid in local broadband planning and adoption efforts. 
 
“We are very pleased to have Mr. Settles on our team for this broadband planning project,” comments Don Krysakowski, Assistant Director of the Center for Economic Development in the CSU, Chico Research Foundation. “Craig is one of the leading voices in the U.S. on executing effective broadband community and business strategies. Communities should benefit tremendously from the results of this project.”
 
A nationally recognized expert in developing broadband business strategy, Settles has worked with several California cities to help them assess their broadband needs and develop plans for moving network projects forward.  Settles also worked with CSU-Chico last summer conducting local north state workshops on developing strategies for broadband adoption.  An accomplished author, his recent book, Fighting the Next Good Fight: Bringing True Broadband to Your Community, combined with his first book Fighting the Good Fight for Municipal Wireless, and numerous reports, have established Mr. Settles as a thought leader on broadband issues and policies.

 

 

April 12, 2010

Margaret Schmidt Joins CED as Regional Coordinator

The Center for Economic Development (CED) at California State University, Chico Research Foundation announced today that Margaret Schmidt has joined their staff as Regional Coordinator. This new position supports the Center’s strategic plan to work with its regional economic development partners and other businesses to provide products and services that promote community and economic development.


Margaret will be working within the 23 county region to assess developing economic development needs and connecting those needs with CED’s expert statistical research and analysis staff, as well as other university resources and private professional services organizations. She brings over 20 years of marketing and project management experience to the role of regional coordinator. Margaret stated, “This position provides an exciting opportunity to work across Northern California to aid businesses and all agencies grow and expand their job base and revenues. This growth will in turn help our communities prosper overall.”

“We are extremely pleased to formalize this relationship with Margaret.  Through her position on our Tri-county Economic Forecast Conference Board of Advisors she has first-hand knowledge of our capabilities and we look forward to having Margaret work to promote the Center throughout our 23 county service region,” stated Don Krysakowski, Assistant Director for the Center for Economic Development.

Each year CED produces the Tri-County Economic Forecast Conference and Annual Profile series.  Each county profile provides statistics, data, indicators and information on county demographics, environmental factors, agriculture, the labor market and much more. CED’s excellent research staff is available to develop data estimates, projections or analyses unique to a specific business or industry.


For more information on CED and its services, please contact Don Krysakowski at (530) 898-3854.

 

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Media

The Center for Economic Development (CED) is dedicated to providing critical information to community organizations, businesses, and community leaders. Working with the media is essential to delivering that information and data to the CED's audiences. This is why the CED goes to great lengths to build positive relationships with the media and provide them with news-worthy stories and research summaries.

 

Dan Ripke, Director
Telephone: (530)898-4598
Fax: (530)898-4734
E-mail: dripke@csuchico.edu