The List: June 2025
The List: 10 Things BLDC Checked Off in the Last Month
Tech Hub Talk at Butte Brewing We hosted Tim VanReken, Courtney McKee, and John Beltrone of the Headwaters Tech Hub for a packed community info session. It was a powerful conversation on the future of economic development and photonics in Butte.
Business Recruitment is Heating Up We refined our recruitment marketing materials and responded to several Requests for Information from the Montana Department of Commerce business attraction team.
Flying High with ESGR BLDC Executive Director Kelly Sullivan joined Butte employers for the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) “Boss Lift” ride on a Chinook helicopter. 🇺🇸
SelectUSA Summit in Washington, D.C. Kayla Lappin attended the summit and Montana Coffee at the Capitol, meeting with prospective businesses and Montana’s congressional delegation. Follow-up meetings are already underway!
Another $1M for Brownfields Cleanup We’ve been awarded $1 million in new Revolving Loan Funds for Brownfields redevelopment. Big thanks to Melissa Wanamaker for securing this critical investment!
Strategic Plan Survey Results Are In 227 survey responses = powerful data. Explore the Top 4 Strategic Themes and Top 4 Community Priorities: View Strategic Priorities
New Membership Levels Launched Our 2025 Membership Drive is live! With new tiers and benefits, there’s never been a better time to support economic development in Butte. Join Now
Global Connections in Education We helped host the Community College Administrators Program (CCAP), welcoming Ecuadorian educators focused on technical training to Butte.
Lights, Camera, Butte! Thank you to Intermountain Health St. James Hospital, for your recent grant to the BLDC! We’ll use those funds to create a first-class video marketing campaign that will focus on what makes Butte, Butte! The videos will feature our healthcare sector, education, industry, small business and so much more.
Homebuyer Classes Are Back! Our HUD-certified instructor, Brennan Hammer, taught his first in-person class since 2024. Next class coming in September—just $60/person or $95/couple (includes dinner!).
Really interesting summary of local developments and community updates for June. It's encouraging to see such steady focus on regional economic initiatives and supporting small business expansion across the district. Balancing practical day-to-day operations with long-term strategic goals can definitely be tricky for growing teams—it reminds me of how students juggle practical coursework and ask for Help with Software Engineering Assignment tasks while keeping up with their broader degree requirements. I do wonder how some of these local workforce housing plans will play out over the coming months as interest rates fluctuate. Thanks for putting together these monthly roundups, always handy to stay in the loop with what’s changing locally.