BENTON - Scott County commissioners will meet at Southeast Missouri State University's Dempster Hall Thursday afternoon to hear ideas on how best to market Scott County.
Jim Schwaninger, Scott County economic developer, passed out university visitors' parking passes at Tuesday's county commission meeting and discussed what commissioners can expect to hear during the presentations.
Since early January, graduating seniors from SEMO Emeritus Professor Charles R. Wiles' Integrated Marketing Communications Practicum class have worked with Schwaninger to develop a plan to promote the county and boost its image.
The 17 marketing majors divided into three "agencies" to research the county's strengths and weaknesses, develop logos and slogans, and prepare communications strategies to sell what the county has to offer. Strategies are focused on industrial development, residential growth, retail sales and tourism.
The three groups are competing against each other to present the best ideas. The presentations will serve as their "final examination" for the course, according to Schwaninger.
The commissioners also were visited by Heather Brown, communications officer for Missouri Foundation for Health.
Brown invited county officials to attend a public forum scheduled from 10 a.m. till noon June 1 at the Ramada Inn in Sikeston. The forum is being held to gather input about health concerns and unmet health care needs in the community from both consumers and providers of health care services.
Brown explained the grantmaking non-profit foundation is dedicated to serving the uninsured and underinsured in 85 Missouri counties including the Bootheel area.
Missouri Foundation for Health was formed when Blue Cross-Blue Shield went from a non-profit entity to a for-profit company and had to divest themselves of assets, according to Brown. Blue Cross-Blue Shield's Right Choice Managed Care division merged with Wellpoint, another national healthcare organization, to provide the foundation with its assets.
* The courthouse will be closed Wednesday in observance of Truman Day, according to Rita Milam, county clerk.