LINCOLN, NE – Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen has named awards for projects in three districts of the state’s 6 Regions, One Nebraska initiative. The announcement was made Friday at the offices of Southeast Nebraska Development District, one of three organizations receiving funds. The money totals $600,000.

Gov. Pillen said, “I appreciate the many leaders who’ve committed to the Six Regions, One Nebraska initiative. The awards are investments into collaborative projects that will benefit entire regions.”

Pillen was joined at the press conference by K.C. Belitz, Director of the Nebraska Department of Economic Development, Nebraska Chamber of Commerce & Industry President Bryan Slone, regional navigators and co-chairs, community college leaders and project applicants.

DED Director Belitz said, “6 Regions, One Nebraska has been marked by a strong partnership. There’s clearly a joint commitment to make a lasting impact on our communities through this initiative.”

The project…6 Regions, One Nebraska…was Launched in 2024, encouraging cooperation, rather than competition, among neighboring communities. Each region had two formal gatherings this year, along with numerous virtual work sessions. Participants decided on priority areas to serve as a starting point for collaborative action.

Working groups identified potential solutions to address needs and developed one project for which to seek state-administered American Rescue Plan Act funds.

Each region successfully supported one application for an award of $200,000. State leaders have encouraged philanthropic organizations to raise additional funds to support the awarded projects.

The Southeast Community College District chose to focus on infrastructure needs throughout the region. “Water is vitally important to our region’s economic wellbeing, both to support agricultural production and manufacturing” said Jonathan Jank of Seward County, co-chair of the Southeast region. “Leaders in southeast Nebraska, rural and urban, expressed interest in evaluating our infrastructure to ensure the long-term sustainability of our water resources.”

Josh Moenning of Norfolk, co-chair of the Northeast region, said “developing affordable housing is at the top of our list of priorities. We’re grateful to the State for funding our region’s housing analysis project.”

Central Nebraska Economic Development District will consolidate housing studies and available programs into a bilingual website for potential developers and community officials. The site will highlight innovative construction methods and include best practices for reducing code/zoning barriers.

Metro Community College District will expand its Housing Developer Academy program from its current focus on north Omaha into a regional model. It provides training and education on real estate and housing development to potential and emerging housing developers. Following completion of the program, the participants can participate in the CoDevelopment program forming a partnership to develop housing, providing additional training and experience. 

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