Economic development is the focus of WNIJ’s latest collaboration with the Rockford Register Star. WNIJ’s Mike Moen and the Register Star’s Chuck Sweeny recently discussed the topic with 16th District Congressman Adam Kinzinger and Jason Anderson, who's the economic development director for the city of Rochelle. Here is the full interview with Congressman Adam Kinzinger. Highlights include the federal role in boosting local economies. Also, the discussion touches on closing the job skills gap by introducing teens to various careers:
And here is the full discussion with Jason Anderson. He runs economic development for Rochelle. The city has had some success in recent years landing big development deals. Mike and Chuck ask Jason how Rochelle is able to do it. The discussion also focuses on whether communities across the region should band together to attract more companies: