Community Development Educator | Data & Spatial Analysis | UW - Extension
Charlotte Peters is the Community Development Educator for La Crosse County with UW–Extension. She focuses her work on Community and Economic Development, supporting initiatives related to childcare, broadband deployment, and community assessments. Passionate about building community and fostering inclusion, Charlotte is dedicated to ensuring La Crosse County continues to thrive as a welcoming place for all residents. She earned her B.S. in Geography with a minor in Ethnic and Racial Studies from the University of Wisconsin–La Crosse in 2018 and completed her M.S. in Environmental Observation and Informatics at UW–Madison’s Nelson Institute in 2020. Her graduate experience included a two-year internship with the La Crosse County Extension Office, where she strengthened her expertise in environmental data and spatial analysis. Charlotte’s professional background also includes experience in manufacturing, healthcare, and service industries, providing her with a broad understanding of community and workforce dynamics. With a strong interest in data and analytics, she enjoys transforming complex information into meaningful insights that inform local policy and planning. Her work reflects a commitment to data-driven decision-making, relationship building, and advancing equitable, sustainable development throughout La Crosse County.
- Strengthen Advanced Data and Visualization Skills Goal: Complete professional development or certification in data visualization or analysis software (e.g., Tableau, Power BI, ArcGIS Insights, or Python for data analysis) to enhance the quality and clarity of Extension reports and community assessments. Purpose: Improve your ability to communicate insights to non-technical audiences and strengthen your leadership in data-informed community work.
- Lead a Comprehensive Community Assessment Project Goal: Plan and execute a county-level community or economic development assessment (e.g., on childcare access or broadband adoption) that integrates both quantitative and qualitative data. Purpose: Showcase your data and spatial analysis expertise while demonstrating measurable community impact through Extension programming.
- Build Stronger Cross-Sector Partnerships Goal: Establish or deepen collaboration with 3–5 key partners in local government, education, and nonprofit sectors to align efforts in workforce, housing, or broadband planning. Purpose: Strengthen Extension’s role as a convener and build trusted relationships that support sustained community outcomes.
- Develop a Regional Data Resource or Dashboard Goal: Design and maintain an interactive regional data dashboard (e.g., for childcare, broadband, or housing indicators) that serves as a public resource for decision-makers and residents. Purpose: Position yourself and UW–Extension as leaders in applied data transparency and community engagement.
- Establish Yourself as a Subject Matter Expert in Applied Community Analytics Goal: Present findings or best practices at state or national conferences (e.g., NACDEP, UW–Extension system conferences) and publish applied research or case studies. Purpose: Build professional recognition and contribute to the growing field of data-informed community development.
- Pursue Leadership or Program Development Opportunities within Extension Goal: Lead or co-develop a statewide Extension initiative, toolkit, or training program on data-informed decision-making or spatial analysis for community planning. Purpose: Expand your influence, mentor colleagues, and advance equitable, data-driven community development at a broader scale.
- DIY Strategic Planning Toolkit
A self-guided resource for organizations to build or update their strategic plan. - Housing Access Data Dashboard
Visualization of workforce and senior housing data across western Wisconsin. - Energy Efficiency Survey Analysis
Analysis of residential energy upgrades using zip-code-level data.
📧 [charlotte.peters@wisc.edu] | 🌐 [https://www.linkedin.com/feed/] | 📍 La Crosse County, WI