I attended the Butte Local Development Corporation’s annual awards dinner last month. And I found myself profoundly inspired watching those officials, representing a community that has weathered decades of hardship, step confidently into a new era of growth. What struck me most wasn’t any single program or flashy investment, but an attitude. Butte leaders are choosing collaboration over complacency, which shows in the city’s steady growth and development.
The BLDC, for example, recently worked with Highlands College of Montana Tech to develop a training curriculum for solar manufacturing and partnered with Missoula-based ClearSky Climate Solutions to identify and secure a suitable industrial site. Instead of asking “why,” Butte’s response to new ideas seems to be “how can we make this work?” That’s a powerful mindset – and one I believe Jefferson County is ready to embrace.
As Board President of the Jefferson Local Development Corporation, I’ve witnessed significant change over the past year. New doors have been opened, but there’s also new uncertainty for our communities. Grants that have traditionally been available to rural areas are harder to find, with limited federal funds available to areas that have historically seen robust support. Amid these shifts, our best path forward lies in working together, not only through policies or plans, but through genuine collaboration and engagement that supports shared progress.
