As director of the Rugby Convention and Visitors Bureau, Laurie Odden wears many hats: event coordinator, tourism promotor, workforce recruiter, communications lead. Yet even with her in-depth knowledge of her hometown, the recent project highlighting Rugby in a video docuseries brought another perspective on the community’s offerings and high quality of life to her and Rugby’s residents.
“They were here filming for three days and it was an experience I can’t fully explain,” says Odden. “It feels like I’ve seen the community twice now, viewing it in a whole different way thanks to the ‘My Town’ series. I’ve lived here my entire life and you take things for granted.”
To help attract new residents and workforce to the area, the Rugby Convention and Visitors Bureau applied to participate in the ‘My Town’ docuseries, created by Emmy Award-winning producer Cory Hepola. The series highlights opportunities and the quality of life in rural communities through positive, compelling storytelling. The 26-minute video, partially funded by a ND Dept of Commerce Regional Workforce Impact Program (RWIP) Grant, released on YouTube December 1, 2024, generating nearly 7,000 views to date.
The video highlighted Heartland Bison Ranch, Main Street Boutique department store, and the new Heart of America Medical Center. During filming, a town hall meeting brought the community together, discussing not only the production process but also why rural communities matter. The film debuted at the Twin Cities Film Festival in Minneapolis with Rugby community leaders in attendance, followed soon after with a community launch party and viewing at Rugby’s Lyric Theater.
Odden reflects on the unexpected benefits the video brought to Rugby. “In many ways, the process was more important than the product,” she says. “Our residents are now better able to speak to what makes Rugby a great place to live, better equipped for site visits as we recruit workforce for our new hospital, manufacturing companies, and community services.”
With high quality video and photo assets in hand, Odden and her team updated Rugby’s website, creating a workforce recruitment specific landing page at Rugbynd.com/welcome, accumulating hundreds of unique visitors to the page. The project also caught the attention of mainstream media.
“People have taken a different look at our community,” says Odden. “I drive by the Heartland Bison Ranch all the time and didn’t fully realize everything that happens there until spending time at the ranch with the filming crew. The video brought awareness of the history of our downtown, the beautiful buildings people have taken the time to restore, the many gems in our community. It helps people talk about Rugby in a good way.”
The community development momentum continues to build in Rugby. The new medical center opened in September 2024 and is actively hiring staff. Thanks to a recent workforce grant from the North Dakota Department of Commerce, Rugby has increased childcare capacity. The city is investing in expanded city infrastructure to create opportunity for more home builds. Renovation of the historic Lyric Theater is getting started with the help of an architect who grew up in Rugby and also helped with the new hospital design.
“Our base of enthusiasm and support is recharged,” says Odden. “The community is discussing ways to add more amenities and host more activities and events. The ‘My Town’ filming was a cause for both community conversation and action, and we’re continuing to build off that.”