Our Opinion: SEED Symposium offers full day of economic information, ideas

There may be a better acronym for an event somewhere, but we’re not aware of it.

SEEDS.

Southeast Entrepreneurship and Economic Development Symposium.

The next installment of this annual event, sponsored by Cape Girardeau Area Chamber of Commerce and Southeast Missouri State University’s Harrison College of Business & Computing, will begin at 9:30 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 14, at Drury Plaza Conference Center (3351 Percy Drive) in Cape Girardeau.

The symposium brings together business and community leaders for presentations regarding the region’s economy. This year’s lineup of speakers is impressive.

Keynoting the event will be Mo Collins, director of Entrepreneurship for International Economic Development Council. Based in Washington, D.C., the council is a non-profit, non-partisan group of more than 4,500 economic developers who “create high-quality jobs, develop vibrant communities and improve the quality of life in their regions”.

Charles Gascon, senior economist for Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis will update attendees on the region’s economy, and Brian Treece, vice president of Strategy and Development for Equipment Share and the former mayor of Columbia, Missouri, will discuss economic development strategy and the role of entrepreneurship in communities.

Dustin Boatwright — chair of the Missouri Highway Commission and a Southeast Missouri native — will moderate a panel on natural resources and the region’s economy. Panelists will be:

Charles Kruse, president of Charles Kruse Farms

Tommy Petzoldt, who works in timber and log procurement for Unicem

Mike Hollomon, commercial director for U.S. Strategic Metals

Presented by Mayson Capital Partners, the symposium promises an informative and enlightening day. For more information, contact chamber officials at (573) 335-3312, or visit the office at 220 N. Fountain St. in Cape Girardeau.

SEEDS — planting ideas that may germinate into economic activity tomorrow and beyond. Great name. Even greater potential.