Thanks to so many who have helped VHEDC have an amazing year. Highlights -included having Bill George at our sold out Annual Dinner! We were also thrilled to help so many new businesses open in the community including Fresh Thyme Farmers Market, Punch Pizza, Starbucks, Peoples Bank Midwest, and Pet Supplies Plus to name just a few. 2017 is looking promising with new initiatives and new business growth.  We thank all our investors and strategic partners! Below is summary of a memo from Kevin Whelan, VHEDC president to the board of directors.

To: VHEDC Board of Directors

From: Kevin Whelan, VHEDC President

Re: 2016 Highlights

2016 continued to be a year of growth and positive change for the VHEDC. The organization has continued to make significant strides to continue to define its work and relevance thanks to the hard work of the Board of Directors, our many committee members, strategic partners, and investors.

●The​ ​Board​ ​completed​ ​its​ ​Strategic​ ​Plan.  
●The​ ​VHEDC​ ​hosted​ ​a​ ​State​ ​of​ ​the​ ​City​ ​Address.
●The​ ​VHEDC​ ​published​ ​the​ ​2nd​ ​Annual​ ​VHEDC​ ​Business​ ​Directory​ ​and​ ​Community​ ​Profile  .
●In​ ​May,​ ​we​ ​co-hosted​ ​a​ ​successful​ ​Northeast​ ​Business​ ​Community​ ​Expo​ ​in​ ​partnership​ ​with Press​ ​Publications. 
●VHEDC​ ​worked​ ​closely​ ​with​ ​new​ ​businesses​ ​opening​ ​in​ ​the​ ​community​ ​including:​ ​Punch​ ​Pizza, Starbucks,​ ​Fresh​ ​Thyme​ ​Farmers​ ​Market,​ ​Peoples​ ​Bank​ ​Midwest,​ ​Create​ ​Space,​ ​Pet​ ​Supplies Plus,​ ​and​ ​more.  
●We​ ​launched​ ​a​ ​new​ ​website.  
●We​ ​helped​ ​launched​ ​the​ ​first​ ​season​ ​of​ ​the​ ​Vadnais​ ​Heights​ ​Farmers​ ​Market​ ​for​ ​the​ ​community.  
●We​ ​sponsored​ ​a​ ​City​ ​Center​ ​Task​ ​Force​ ​that​ ​was​ ​instrumental​ ​in​ ​working​ ​with​ ​the​ ​City​ ​on​ ​new street​ ​light​ ​improvements​ ​and​ ​bringing​ ​the​ ​Taste​ ​of​ ​Vadnais​ ​Heights​ ​back​ ​to​ ​the​ ​City​ ​Center.  
●The​ ​VHEDC​ ​sponsored​ ​two​ ​summer​ ​interns,​ ​one​ ​from​ ​Century​ ​College​ ​and​ ​another​ ​from​ ​White Bear​ ​Lake​ ​Area​ ​Schools.​ ​In​ ​addition,​ ​we​ ​sponsored​ ​our​ ​first​ ​school​ ​year​ ​intern​ ​in​ ​the​ ​fall.  
●We​ ​completed​ ​a​ ​multi-staged​ ​BR&E​ ​Survey​ ​Project​ ​in​ ​partnership​ ​between​ ​the​ ​City​ ​of​ ​Vadnais Heights​ ​and​ ​the​ ​University​ ​of​ ​Minnesota​ ​where​ ​45​ ​businesses​ ​were​ ​interviewed​ ​over​ ​30​ ​days.  
●Helped​ ​several​ ​businesses​ ​launch​ ​into​ ​the​ ​community,​ ​continue​ ​to​ ​serve​ ​as​ ​a​ ​business​ ​advocate and​ ​resource.  
●We​ ​held​ ​many​ ​events​ ​this​ ​past​ ​year​ ​that​ ​were​ ​very​ ​well​ ​received​ ​and​ ​added​ ​value​ ​to​ ​our organization.​ ​​ ​Some​ ​event​ ​highlights: 
-2nd​ ​annual​ ​Business​ ​Appreciation​ ​Event 
-Eight​ ​Professional​ ​EDGE​ ​programs​ ​in​ ​collaboration​ ​with​ ​the​ ​White​ ​Bear​ ​Area​ ​Chamber​ ​of Commerce. 
-Three​ ​Workforce​ ​Development​ ​Panels.  
-Annual​ ​Golf​ ​Tournament​ ​and​ ​Annual​ ​Dinner 
-Held​ ​6​ ​mixer​ ​events  
Looking​ ​ahead​ ​in​ ​2017,​ ​we​ ​look​ ​forward​ ​to: 
-Increasing​ ​our​ ​investors 
-Launching​ ​the​ ​Northeast​ ​Metro​ ​Young​ ​Professionals​ ​Program 
-3rd​ ​edition​ ​of​ ​Business​ ​Directory​ ​and​ ​Community​ ​Profile 
-Working​ ​on​ ​initiatives​ ​that​ ​came​ ​out​ ​of​ ​the​ ​BRE​ ​Project​ ​with​ ​U​ ​of​ ​M 
-Hosting​ ​the​ ​2nd​ ​annual​ ​Northeast​ ​Business​ ​Community​ ​Expo​ ​(April​ ​30)