Media Advisory: Tuesday, March 30^th, 2021

Contact:              Amaad Rivera-Wagner

                              Community Liaison, Mayor Genrich’s Office

                              920-448-3210

                              Amaad.Rivera@greenbaywi.gov

Mayor Genrich and WI Secretary of Revenue Barca to Host Roundtable on Economic Recovery

(Green Bay)- Mayor Genrich & Wisconsin Department of Revenue Secretary Peter Barca are hosting an Economic Recovery RoundTable to discuss ideas for economic recovery as the Pandemic subsides.

• Green Bay – Tuesday, March 30; 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. [link to register] 

The Mayor and Secretary are asking community leaders, stakeholders, other civic and business leaders to help launch the post-pandemic recovery here in Green Bay. The “Stop the Spread Coalition” is designed to promote a series of local conversations to help Wisconsin emerge from the pandemic quicker and ensure a strong Wisconsin economy.

The goal of these locally led conversations is to generate ideas that can be implemented at the local level to rebuild our communities – economically, socially, and culturally.

Who:     Mayor Eric Genrich

               Wisconsin Sectary of Revenue Peter Barca             

What:    Economic Recovery Roundtable

When:   12:30PM

Where: Virtual [link to register]

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Background: 

This initiative is designed to promote a series of local conversations to help Wisconsin emerge from the pandemic quicker and ensure a strong Badger Bounceback. Local elected leaders from these communities and the co-chairs of the "Stop the COVID Spread" coalition connected with local leaders encouraging them to lend their ideas and involvement and actively participate in this solution-based approach.

The goal of these locally led conversations is to generate ideas that can be implemented at the local level to rebuild our communities – economically, socially, and culturally. We want to see them not only get back to where they were pre-pandemic, but also thrive in the long term and achieve a Badger Bounceback. As our vaccination rate increases, moving into the recovery phase is the next step.

In consultation with the Wisconsin Department of Health and the "Stop the COVID Spread" coalition co-chairs, we decided to host conversations in three areas – Wausau, Rhinelander, and Green Bay. Public and civic leaders in these areas are enthusiastic and eager to begin. The conversations will use the Appreciative Inquiry (AI) process. AI has been successfully used by public and private organizations across America to solve particularly complex problems. We are confident AI is an effective method for tackling the multiple facets of COVID recovery.

AI is a strengths-based improvement methodology that brings stakeholders together to share ideas, agree on the best initiatives to pursue, and collaborate to implement them. AI utilizes a 'SOAR' process where participants identify Strengths, Opportunities, Aspirations and Results.

Here are a few examples of conversations we seek to encourage and trigger local action:

1. How can members of the community contribute to a faster economic recovery?
2. How should the community prioritize actions to assist in faster economic recovery?
3. What role do public and private sector actors have in assisting with a faster economic recovery?

We believe applying this process at the local level will achieve meaningful results. We want to see each community draw from its leaders the strengths and opportunities to transform past our new normal and rebuild our economy as quickly and safely as possible.

We envision representatives from the following sectors to provide perspective and leadership.

·       Health care professionals and scientists

·       Government officials – all branches, all levels, bipartisan

·       Marketing and public relations professionals

·       Technology professionals

·       Business, faith-based, and other civic leaders

There is no cost for participation.