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September 7, 2026
FOND DU LAC – Not only do people want to relocate to Fond du Lac County, President and CEO Sadie Howell said some are willing to travel across the country to take part in Envision Greater Fond du Lac’s relocation initiative.
“Caroline and James and their two kids moved from Washington state,” she said. “[They] drove here 30 hours with their dog, and this week, Caroline has started her position with the Fond du Lac School District. Their two kids are enrolled in the Fond du Lac School District, and they got the last-minute [approval to] enroll in football, so that was very exciting.”
Caroline, James and their family, Howell said, are only one of three transplants currently settling into their new homes within the county, all because of MakeMyMove – a nationwide relocation marketplace whose partnership with Envision was initially featured in the Aug. 10 issue of The Business News.
“We launched it officially May 14, but it went viral in mid-June,” Howell said.
With the goal of relocating 32 households to Fond du Lac County, Howell said these initial three are an “incredible” start.
Across the county, back home
As of August, two additional households had relocated to Fond du Lac through MakeMyMove, joining Caroline and James’ family.
“Robert is [from Connecticut and will be] working at Verve, a Credit Union,” she said. “He’ll split his time between its Oshkosh and Fond du Lac branches, and he chose to live in the City of Ripon [because] when he was doing the research and learning about the county, he really liked Ripon. He said he is loving it so far [with] the downtown, all the shops and restaurants to explore.”
The second individual to take advantage of the MakeMyMove initiative, Howell said, is who she called Envision’s “first boomerang.”
“Andrew grew up in and went to Campbellsport High School, and after high school, he moved and has lived around the United States – most recently in upstate New York,” she said. “[But he] decided it was time to move back to Wisconsin to be closer to family.”
Though he initially settled on Madison, Howell said Andrew’s aunt living in Colorado saw MakeMyMove’s advertising and sent it to him.
At first, Howell said Andrew “thought it was a scam,” but after calling and speaking with Envision staff, he applied and was approved.
“He came in last week, and [while] we were talking with him, I [asked], ‘Why Fond du Lac?’” she said. “[Andrew] said… the [financial support] and the experience incentives were the nudge [he] needed to move back home. So, he is renting in Fond du Lac [and] is deciding where he wants to buy a home permanently.”
‘This is a good thing’
Next month, Howell said Envision is already working on the relocation of two more individuals and another couple with six children.
“[The husband] is retired from the military, and they were looking for where they wanted to have their forever home because after moving around for [so long, they] just want to be in one place,” she said. “They came across Fond du Lac County through MakeMyMove and [thought], ‘This is good.’ So, he will be starting a new career with Mercury Marine, and they specifically chose Fond du Lac because of [its] school district for their kids.”
Though Howell said she hasn’t yet met the family in person, Netalya Challoner – Envision’s program coordinator responsible for assisting each household in their relocation – relayed their initial impressions of the area, saying “this community must be welcoming, because you wouldn’t do something like this if you didn’t want people to move here.”
“That’s amazing,” Howell said, “because when we launched the [first] worker relocation [program] several years ago, our thought was it was going to take off like this, and it didn’t… So, now, actually seeing the movers, having them in our office, giving them the check and the folders and seeing how happy and excited they are to be here has just been incredible.”
Howell said the businesses and community leaders who have supported the initiative deserve much of the credit for showcasing what makes Fond du Lac County special.
“[Several] county board members [have told me], ‘We do want to attract people, we do want to grow, we do need people and this is a good thing,’” she said. “[Hearing] community leaders and business owners speak publicly [and] positively about it is heartwarming.”
The Business News will continue to watch Envision as its MakeMyMove initiative works toward the goal of 32 relocated households.
