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7 Ambitious Goals: How Envision Greater Fond Du Lac Is Redefining Regional Growth By 2030

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The future of Fond du Lac County is being charted with an ambitious new roadmap. As of late December 2025, Envision Greater Fond du Lac (EGFL) has officially pivoted from its successful 2022–2025 Strategic Plan to a transformative set of 2030 goals, signaling a bold, unified approach to regional growth and economic vitality. This shift moves beyond traditional Chamber of Commerce and Economic Development models to embrace a holistic, community-wide strategy, focusing on everything from entrepreneurial innovation to critical housing and child care solutions.

The organization’s renewed focus on long-term, measurable objectives is designed to ensure that every initiative, from major business attraction to local workforce strengthening, directly contributes to a shared vision for the entire Fond du Lac region. This deep dive explores the core pillars of the new 2030 strategic direction, the key leadership driving the change, and the award-winning projects that are already laying the foundation for a more prosperous decade.

The Unified Vision: Leadership and Organizational Profile

Envision Greater Fond du Lac is not a typical regional entity; it was established in July 2017 as a merger of the area's Chamber of Commerce and its Economic Development organization. This unified structure allows the organization to tackle complex issues—like workforce shortages, business growth, and quality of life—with a single, coordinated strategy, eliminating the silos that often hinder progress in other regions.

Key Leadership and Structure

  • Organization Type: Combined Chamber of Commerce and Economic Development Organization.
  • Launch Date: July 2017.
  • Core Mission: Fueling the growth of businesses, supporting innovative entrepreneurs, and enhancing the economic vitality of the Fond du Lac region.
  • President/CEO: Sadie Howell.
  • Strategic Direction: Focused on a comprehensive 2030 Goals plan, which supersedes the successful 2022–2025 Strategic Plan.
  • Operational Philosophy: Howell emphasizes that all initiatives must align with the strategic plan, ensuring concentrated effort and measurable results.

The leadership, under CEO Sadie Howell, has made it clear that the 2030 goals are about "regional growth" and are viewed simply as "Envision" issues, not separate chamber or economic development concerns. This integrated mindset is the engine behind their success.

The 2030 Blueprint: Envision Greater Fond du Lac's Core Goals

The new strategic blueprint for the region is defined by a set of ambitious 2030 Goals, designed to create a vibrant, resilient, and attractive community for both businesses and residents. These goals represent a significant step forward from the previous plan, which successfully assisted with key housing projects and championed child care solutions.

While the full, soon-to-be-published plan contains extensive detail, the core focus areas highlight a commitment to unity, innovation, and infrastructure. The strategy is built on the understanding that a strong economy requires a strong community, and vice-versa.

Pillar 1: Unify Stakeholders for Maximum Impact

The first goal is foundational: to unify stakeholders across the entire region. This involves ensuring that businesses, government, non-profits, and educational institutions are all working from the same playbook. For example, the plan includes specific initiatives to strengthen partnerships and create a shared vision for Fond du Lac's future.

This unification effort is critical for maximizing resources and preventing duplication of efforts, ensuring that every dollar and every hour spent on development yields the greatest possible return for the Fond du Lac community.

Pillar 2: Fueling Entrepreneurship and Accelerating Innovation

A key element of the 2030 strategy is empowering entrepreneurs and accelerating innovation. Envision Greater Fond du Lac is actively strengthening the startup ecosystem and expanding resources for new and existing businesses.

  • IGNITE Rural Business Accelerator: This program is a direct manifestation of this goal. The 2025 Cohort, which included businesses like Last Mile Parts LLC and Into The Woods Wellness, received significant investment and mentorship to accelerate their growth. The top winner of this accelerator program is awarded a substantial investment to scale their business.
  • Business Growth: The organization continues its commitment to attracting new businesses while simultaneously fostering the growth of existing ones, a dual strategy for economic stability.

This focus on innovation ensures that the Fond du Lac economy is future-proofed, creating new jobs and diversifying the industrial base beyond traditional sectors.

Award-Winning Initiatives and Community Impact

The success of Envision Greater Fond du Lac is not just measured by strategic plans, but by tangible, award-winning projects that have a direct impact on the community and workforce. The organization’s commitment to workforce development and community enhancement is evident in its recent accolades and partnerships.

Project G.R.I.L.L.: A Manufacturing Workforce Pipeline

In a significant achievement, Envision Greater Fond du Lac was recently honored with the Northeast Wisconsin (NEW) Manufacturing Alliance's Community Partnership Award for its work on Project G.R.I.L.L. This initiative is an essential part of strengthening the workforce, particularly in the manufacturing sector, which is vital to the regional economy.

Project G.R.I.L.L. is a prime example of how EGFL works to connect education with industry needs, creating a robust pipeline of skilled workers and ensuring the long-term competitiveness of Fond du Lac businesses.

Enhancing Quality of Life and Workforce Readiness

Community and workforce development are intrinsically linked in the EGFL strategy. The organization has been a champion for solutions in two critical areas that affect workforce participation and quality of life: housing and child care.

  • Housing Projects: The 2022-2025 plan successfully assisted with multiple key housing projects, meeting the target of five unique projects quarterly, demonstrating a commitment to addressing the region's housing needs.
  • Child Care Solutions: Recognizing child care as a major barrier to workforce participation, EGFL has championed solutions through over 50 direct initiatives and efforts.
  • Educational Partnerships: The organization highlights and supports key educational advancements, such as Marian University's unveiling of a new, state-of-the-art Radiologic Technology Suite in late 2025. This type of investment enhances hands-on learning and directly contributes to a highly-skilled local healthcare workforce.

The comprehensive nature of these efforts—from business accelerators like IGNITE Rural to community projects like Project G.R.I.L.L. and support for housing/child care—demonstrates a commitment to a truly "Greater" Fond du Lac. By focusing on the 2030 Goals, Envision Greater Fond du Lac is setting a national example for how unified economic and community development can drive sustainable, long-term regional growth. The path forward is clearly defined, and the organization is positioned to do extraordinary things in the coming years.

7 Ambitious Goals: How Envision Greater Fond du Lac is Redefining Regional Growth by 2030
envision greater fond du lac
envision greater fond du lac

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