HSU Pair Gets USDA Rural Development Grant

$100,000 to help tribal entrepreneurship

Humboldt Seninel
News 6/23/08
By Sentinel Staff

ARCATA -- Two Humboldt State University women have been given a $100,000 Department of Agriculture grant they plan to use to help spur North Coast tribal economic development next year.

Maggie Gainer and Suzanne Burcell, who run HSU’s Office for Economic & Community Development, got back-to-back phone calls Wednesday from Rep. Mike Thompson and Sen. Barbara Boxer congratulating them for the grant award.

The Rural Business Opportunity Grant proposal, co-authored by the women, will fund business and economic development support project for Native American tribes in Northern California.

The project will give training and technical assistance to people planning both tribal and private business enterprises in Humboldt, Del Norte, and Siskiyou Counties.

“We plan to kick off our project with a two-day Tribal Economic Development Summit in the fall, co-hosted by Humboldt State and one or more tribes,” says Burcell. “The entire first day will feature tribal representatives telling their own stories.”

On the second day, participants will have opportunities to respond to those they can help -- and to reach out to those whose help they could use.

“Owing to the history of this country, the social and economic development needs in our remote rural and reservation communities have outstripped available resources for a long time,” says Burcell, “and I am very fortunate to be able to do this kind of work through the Office for Economic & Community Development at Humboldt State.”