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The communities of Craig and Steamboat Springs may not be as different as it seems.

For that matter, Meeker, Maybell and Dinosaur also share common ground -- or should begin thinking that way if residents want to experience a healthy regional economy well into the future.

Such was the topic that local leaders and community members were asked to wrap their heads around about during the first Regional Leadership Summit Thursday in Steamboat Springs. The all-day event sponsored in part by Yampa Valley Partners attracted a core of nationally known speakers as well as local representatives to speak to current civic issues.

According to Mark Drabenstott, the director of the Center for Study of Rural America, thinking regionally should be a trend that "transcends all others."

He noted that the shutdown of 200 factories in rural America with the latest economic downturn had a much larger impact on small communities than in the more urban areas.

Communities should work to promote businesses within their boundaries instead of wasting energy and potentially large sums of money to lure big business, he said.

"Find your niche," Drabenstott stated, as one of his "top-ten" suggestions that areas should adopt in thinking regionally.

"It's not good enough to be the best in Northwest Colorado," he said. "You have to be the best in the world."

Drabenstott questioned the crowd about products that carried the region's brand. Audience members used examples of Yampa Valley Beef, Palisade Peaches and Olathe Sweet Corn.

Still, Drabenstott said, those products weren't always readily available in his hometown of Kansas City, Kan., and, therefore, probably aren't marketed or "branded" as well as they could be.

Tapping into local technologies, hiring qualified economic development representatives and improving the quality of life are other ways to maintain regional viability, he said.

"Six out of 10 rural economies are looking to reinvent themselves and most rural economies are built around commodities," he said. "You're not alone."

Craig City Manager Jim Ferree agreed with the notion that a healthy business mix should come from within the community.

"This reinforces a lot of these issues we've been talking about," he said. "We probably have a better chance of growing our small businesses than attracting large businesses from the outside."

About two decades ago, governments tended to offer large incentive packages to lure big business into the area but that strategy isn't as popular today, Ferree said.

"If you have to pay a company enough that it may be bought, what's to say it won't look somewhere else for an even better deal," he said.

A high quality of living can attract newcomers and wealth to an area.

Yet the standards of what constitutes "the good life" has changed over the years as new residents look into locating in our communities, said Noreen F. Moore, business resource director for the Steamboat Springs Chamber Resort Association.

"Today's young people come for the outdoor life, but they also want to know about affordable housing and healthcare," she said. "They want to know that we value our community."

A Community Indicators Project, a mapping document put out by the Yampa Valley Partners that tracks and records local issues on a yearly basis, is one way the community helps put out good vibes to newcomers, Moore said.

"This data is hugely important," she said. "It shows people that we're thinking about a great piece of who we are."

Combining services may help communities move toward a regional framework.

Colleges, hospitals and healthcare and transportation were identified as areas that could be consolidated to serve a greater regional population base.

Vice President of Colorado Northwest Community College Dean Hollenbeck said the idea of working regionally is paramount for college institutions. The CNCC campus currently spans five communities.

"I think working regionally can be rejuvenating," he said. "Partnering up in this day and time is important."

Some local projects already have been carried out on a regional scale, said Moffat County Commissioner Marianna Raftopoulos.

A Beanpole project, spurred by local governments, helped bring telecommunications to the area. The Yampa Valley Regional Airport provides air service.

Officials from the surrounding communities are looking into providing regional transportation.

Craig Mayor Dave DeRose said the forum was helpful but making thinking regional when making decisions will take a concerted effort. He used the example that he'll always root for the home team though he'll congratulate the opposition on a game well played.

"Do I get ideas from this meeting? Yeah," he said. "It's great to start networking and meeting people. But making those networks, that's up to us."

Amy Hatten can be reached at 824-7031 or ahatten@craigdailypress.com.