Year: 2024

Marnie Werner Vice President of Research & Operations   My dad once told me his boss had a sign on his door that read: “Are you part of the problem or part of the solution?” When I first started at the Center in 2000, I think rural Minnesota was at a crossroads of sorts. The ...

EXCERPT: “Broadband continues to reach more rural areas. Focus on Rural America founder and former Iowa Lieutenant Governor Patty Judge says billions in taxpayer dollars are being distributed across the country to bring high-speed internet access to the nearly one in five rural Americans still on the wrong side of the digital divide. ‘A really substantial ...

The Center for Rural Policy & Development and the Citizens League are excited to continue our “Interconnected” series highlighting  topics important to both rural and urban audiences. In this webinar, hear a presentation from Vice President of Research, Marnie Werner, providing an overview of the Center for Rural Policy and Development’s newest research – “The ...

  A report in partnership with the Center for Rural Behavioral Health, Minnesota State University, Mankato. As suicide rates race upward, rural residents struggle with a lack of services, information, and answers. Marnie Werner, VP Research, Center for Rural Policy & Development & Tracie Rutherford Self, Ph.D., Minnesota State University Mankato February 2024 Click here ...

Is it realistic for rural areas to close the wage gap? Probably not. By: Kelly Asche, Senior Researcher Most of rural Minnesota is discussing ways to grow the labor force. Increasing the affordable housing stock and childcare capacity are two primary strategies being discussed at the legislature. One of the underlying issues that makes these ...

EXCERPT: “Two organizations that represent Minnesota cities outside the Twin Cities region hope the Legislature will address several challenges facing their member cities, including stress on Emergency Medical Systems and infrastructure needs. The Coalition of Greater Minnesota Cities and the League of Minnesota Cities, whose requests often overlap, are asking that funding for those two areas ...

On February 7th, Sourcewell hosted the Center for Rural Policy to broadcast a presentation and discussion highlighting the Center’s most recent research. In part 5, Director of Research Marnie Werner provides a preview of upcoming research highlight suicide and deaths of despair in rural Minnesota.

On February 7th, Sourcewell hosted the Center for Rural Policy to broadcast a presentation and discussion highlighting the Center’s most recent research. In part 4, Director of Research Marnie Werner presents research highlighting the challenges and opportunities facing rural newspapers.

On February 7th, Sourcewell hosted the Center for Rural Policy to broadcast a presentation and discussion highlighting the Center’s most recent research. In part 3, Senior Researcher Kelly Asche presents research about how to change the narrative among rural high school students that they must leave their rural communities to find career opportunities.