MRED continues workforce discussion at first meeting of year

Mike Kelley
Mike Kelley


The Moniteau County Regional Economic Development Council came together for their first meeting of the year to continue discussion regarding programs fostering economic and workforce development.

MRED President Mike Kelley said organization's goal is to guide new business owners as they work to establish themselves in the community.

Kelley said he has been working with the state of Missouri to re-establish Moniteau County's Work Ready Community program. He said the county is still 14 workers short of receiving their National Career Readiness certificate. However, MRED will be working with local schools over the next several months in order to get students their certification and prepared for the program.

Other points of discussion included an update on Startup Moniteau's LaunchU program. Kelley said he was happy to report a number of five entrepreneurs who are currently involved with the project. He said that MRED will award $7,000 in seed money to the business owner with the most successful pitch.

Grind Coffee and Bistro owner Chelsea McGill will act as guest speaker for the program before the entrepreneurs present their pitches. McGill came out of MRED's first year of Startup Moniteau. Kelley said the organization couldn't ask for a better example for their program than McGill and are eager for her to share her story with the group.

He said MRED will also be re-establishing programs such as Central Missouri Business Leaders. An off-shoot of MRED's start up program, this group allows for a place where business leaders and entrepreneurs gather together to share stories. Kelley said the first Central Missouri Business Leaders meeting will be at 9 a.m. March 17 at the Gathering Place in California.

Kelley said he wants people to be able to share the good, the bad and the ugly of setting up and running a business. He believes these conversations are going to help those in attendance learn from what each person has gone through.

McGill will also be speaking at the Central Missouri Business Leaders meeting where participants can take part in a question and answer format.

Other topics MRED members spoke on involved a potential new business bringing itself from the state of California to California, Missouri. Kelley said the business could employ from 10-15 people within the next few years. He said it is still too early to reveal any more details, but the group hopes to hear more from the business in the future.

CORRECTION: This article was edited at 10:01 a.m. Jan. 19, 2021, to correct the misspelling of Mike Kelley's name.