About FORWARD SHERIDAN, INC.

Forward Sheridan, Inc. is the economic development organization in Sheridan County, Wyoming.  In December 2002, the Sheridan Area Development Alliance (SADA) was created as an independent economic development organization, having been a committee of the Chamber of Commerce until that time.  In January 2005, SADA's Board of Directors embarked upon a formal 4-year economic development fundraising effort entitled Forward Sheridan; the organizational name was changed in December 2005, and a 16-member board was seated from the Investor base.  Forward Sheridan, Inc. runs on a fiscal year (July 1-June 30) and is funded by an investor base with 68% of the funding coming from local business investment and 32% coming from City and County investment.

In August 2006, the Board of Directors established a one-year work plan that included working with partners in the community to address issues such as the workforce shortage, child care, workforce housing shortages, and developing an aggressive Business Retention and Expansion effort with local business. They approved contracting for a Target Industry Study (completed in May 2007) to direct business attraction efforts.  (Click on the "Research" link in the lower navigation bar to download the full Target Industry Study with appendeices.)  The Board also approved a proposal to develop the Economic Development Strategic Plan for Sheridan County.  From September 2006 through July 2007, with input from hundreds of citizens from varied backgrounds, as well as information from past assessments done in the community, a task force of 25 community volunteers embarked upon the process of creating an implementable, measurable strategic plan for economic development in our community.

Beginning in fiscal year 2007-08, and over the next five years, Forward Sheridan is taking actions to align economic development efforts in Sheridan County with the community vision as set forth in the Economic Development Strategic Plan for Sheridan County.  Individual task forces have been formed to implement specific strategies to address the top ten challenges to economic development in Sheridan County.  These strategies support and align with Forward Sheridan's core responsibilities of Economic Development, Workforce Development, and Community Development to support a stronger economy for Sheridan County and the surrounding region.

FOCUS ON OUR FUTURE!