Board Member Spotlight- Merl Witt
Welcome back to another “Get to Know the MCC” blog! Follow along with the series to get to know more about our organization as I detail day-to-day operations, highlight our board members and partner organizations, and share our organizational goals. Today, we are highlighting one of our board members, Merl Witt.
Merl Witt is a retired Air Force Officer hailing from southeast Nebraska and now serves on the board of the Mora County Economic Development Corporation (MCEDC), and the Mora Creative Council. He has earned a Bachelor’s Degree (University of Nebraska) and Master’s Degree (University of New Mexico) in Mechanical Engineering, and an MBA from Wright State University/Air Force Institute of Technology. Drawn to Mora by the clean air, blue skies, and rural character, Merl and his wife have been living and working on their ranch here for the past 15 years.
Merl has been working with the MCC since its inception in 2014 and brings many unique assets to our organization. His experience with business start-ups and non-profits is extremely helpful, as he knows how they can be organized and funded. There are also many reporting requirements for businesses and non-profits, and Merl’s wealth of knowledge in this area helps keep our organization on track and in good legal standing on both the state and federal levels. However, I think the board would agree that it’s his sense of humor that keeps things interesting. He always has us laughing and his witty remarks have a way of sticking in our heads.
When asked why he is on the MCC board and what motivates him, Merl said that he’s not sure why he’s on the board and that at 76 years old, nothing much motivates him anymore. There’s that sense of humor that we love! In all seriousness, Merl has been working hard to advance economic development in our community, and we thank him for all his efforts. When asked why he believes the Mora Creative Council is important for our community, Merl answered “It is a chance to bring many of the old buildings in downtown Mora to life again.”
Over the next five years, Merl hopes to work through the MCC to complete a historic building inventory and turn many of the empty buildings on main street into community assets, creating a vibrant business district in downtown Mora. Merl also believes it is important for the MCC to further develop our volunteer base, catering to the unique experiences of our volunteers. He believes it is important for us to find volunteers knowledgeable in both community development and economic revitalization, as those are the two main focuses of our organization.
The Mora Creative Council is so fortunate and thankful to have Merl on board. His unique perspective is one of the many components that strengthens our organization and helps balance our multifaceted approach to community development. We are excited to continue our work with Merl and the MCEDC to further develop our economic base.
Questions or comments? Email us at ourmoranm@gmail.com