Neligh, NE Is Part Of 'Marketing Hometown America' Program

What are the best ways to market Neligh? Why do people come - or leave - Neligh? Those are all questions that are key to the community's future, and you can be part of finding those answers.

Neligh is one of just two communities in the state - Kimball is the other - asked to participate in the Marketing Hometown American effort, which is a series of community conversations to help market the community.

A kick-off program will be held next week, followed by four study circle meetings with small groups and concluded with an action forum. All will take place in October and November.

The effort is funded by the University of Nebraska Rural Futures Institute and developed and delivered by UNL Extension. Rural communities in South Dakota and North Dakota are also a part of the program. Neligh's program is co-sponsored by the Neligh Economic Development and University of Nebraska–Lincoln Extension.

The kick off will be Wednesday, Oct. 9, at 5:30 p.m. in the Neligh Public Library. It is the kick-off of community conversations in Neligh in which all participants are encouraged to get involved.

Participants will then begin meeting in small groups, led by locally trained facilitators, including myself.  Each participant will be given a community guide that provides background information, lists of discussion questions and activities. Each group will hold a series of meetings to draft a marketing plan and identify activities that they could do in the community to help make themselves more marketable. 

The kick off will be Wednesday, Oct. 9, at 5:30 p.m. at the Neligh Public Library. All participants are encouraged to get involved.

An open community forum will be held on November 27 where everyone will vote on their favorite pieces of the proposed plans and activities, as well as volunteer to help or to lead one of the future actions.

“It helps a community with decisions on how to market themselves to potential new residents.  When new residents find a good community “match”, they stay and everyone benefits – the new residents, the current citizens and the community as a whole,” said Cheryl Burkhart-Kriesel, UNL Extension Community Development specialist.

If you are interested in participating in a study circle, please contact Greg Ptacek at 402-887-4447 or by email at [email protected]. I will also facilitate a study circle and can be reached at 402-490-7129 or by email at [email protected].

These study groups are a great way to not only offer opinions on what makes Neligh a great place to live and/or work, but also what improvements could be made to make it even better.

If you want to improve Neligh and Antelope County, this is your chance to be a part of its marketing plan.

For more information, visit Neligh.org or click here.