Welcome to the first edition of NCDS Nsight. Our goal for this electronic newsletter is to provide those of you on the front lines of community and economic development with news and "Nsight" from around the country that will advance your professional development, validate the important work you do in your community, and maybe even spark some new ideas and fresh thinking.

In thirty years, we have worked in over 500 communities and have been exposed to a wide range of news, trends, techniques, and community leaders – all with a common objective of advancing community economic growth and prosperity. In the course of our work, we have created many innovative approaches to funding strategic initiatives and projects. It is that spirit of innovation and the immense admiration we have for the work you do that prompted us to develop Nsight, and share interesting and noteworthy items across a broad spectrum of topical issues and trends.

We know as well as anyone that every community is different and has its own unique set of challenges and opportunities, yet every day we witness the ability of sound strategies and techniques to transcend these differences in size, location, political structure, and economic drivers. With appropriate modification and adaptation, what works in a large east coast metro can also be effective in a rural Midwest county – and vice versa. Our hope for the publication of Nsight is to explore many of these strategies and offer encouragement through evidence of their success and outcomes.

In future issues, I will use this column to offer my own opinions and insight on topics such as regionalism, public-private partnerships, business incubation, education, foreign investment, and more. I invite you to share your comments and, for that matter, your own insights. If you would prefer not to receive Nsight, please click on the link below to unsubscribe.

Welcome! We hope you'll find Nsight to be informative and enjoyable.