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w w w . i n s i g h t o n b u s i n e s s . c o m J u n e 2 0 14 • I nsIgh t | 11 community attends," Jeffreys says. "so that's why there's a banquet hall section to give a kind of quick view of which halls take 'x' number of people." e committee contacted several large employers early in the guide's development, letting human resource departments know the guide was available to them during the recruitment process, Flores says. "In appleton we want to make sure that we are viewed as a welcoming and inclusive community," Flores says. "and the more that we can do to provide resources and networking opportunities for individuals, the more we're going to be able to make sure people choose to live in and stay in appleton." e City of appleton assessor's office recently added an option for new businesses to self-identify as minority- owned. when that happens, Flores is alerted so she can help with retention and provide the owners with a resource who has a diversity perspective, oen a key to the business's survival and vibrancy, she says. "I think the new north region could go a long way in attracting a diverse talent set by making sure that we're looking at our hiring and recruiting practices, that we're looking at all of our policies to make sure that they are addressing things in an equitable way," Flores says. "we can also engage the leadership in the minority community in helping us with recruitment and retention issues." But both Flores and Jeffreys say growing diverse talent in the new north isn't just about bringing people in from elsewhere. "ere are quite a few people in these communities who are from here – people of color who are from here, and this is a tremendous resource that I'm not sure that we're always really tapping into," Jeffreys says. "e way we keep people here is by showing that our community is actually diverse and interesting. even in polka and beer and brats – that's part of what's diverse and interesting about the area, but there's a lot more to it than just that." regional roundup U P F R O N T For links to economic development groups in the New North, visit www.thenewnorth.com/partners Development in the New North B y F e l i c i a C l a r k » HIgHway 41 CORRIdOR Brown, Calumet, Outagamie, Winnebago, Fond du Lac Counties Country Club facilities upgrade underway Butte des morts Country Club announced a three-year, $3 million-plus facilities upgrade of the pool, pool house and a state-of-the-art practice area to be completed this summer. e upgrades will be financed by a mix of club resources, including a capital campaign and a membership drive. a new pool and pool house will replace the current pool, which is more than 50 years old, with new amenities, such as a zero-depth- entry children's pool and an open-air, covered restaurant and bar area for family and social events. a new tennis court will be adjacent to the pool. e new golf practice facility features a 3,200-square-foot bent grass putting green; greenside practice bunker; fairway practice bunker; 9,500 square feet of bent grass fairway with a chipping area, and 9,000 square feet of bluegrass fairway with a chipping area. "we developed these plans based on a survey of our membership, which helped us determine priorities," says Dave Bernard, Butte des morts board president. "ere was overwhelming support for a new pool as well as the other aspects of our project." Keller, planners, architects and Builders began work on this project in 2013. work will continue until the opening of the golf season in 2016, Bernard says. e pool, pool house, practice area and expanded parking will open this summer. e country club celebrates its 90th anniversary this year. Visitors spent nearly $411M in Fox Cities in 2013 Visitors to the Fox Cities region spent 5.4 percent more in 2013 than in 2012, totaling nearly $411 million. a study estimates that tourism spending sustained 5,557 jobs and totaled $90.2 million in income for Fox Cities residents. "tourism growth in the Fox Cities outpaced the state last year," says pam seidl, executive director of the Fox Cities Convention and Visitors Bureau. "our tourism economy is healthy and all signs point to another good year in 2014." Visitors to the Fox Cities spent $121 million on food and beverage, plus another $90 million for lodging, $89 million on retail and $56 million on recreation. e statewide economic impact study was conducted by tourism economics, an oxford economics Company. Visitor spending has grown an average of 5 percent annually since 2010. For the third straight year, the number of visitors to the state rose, this year reaching the milestone of 100 million people. is [continued ] » Butte des Morts Country Club in appleton announced plans to upgrade its pool and practice areas, with completion slated for this summer. C O U R T e s y O F B U T T e d e s m O R T s C O U N T R y C l U B