Grace Kilbane, the administrator of the Office of Workforce Investment within the U.S. Department of Labor, will speak on the second day of a three-day conference in Coeur D'Alene about rural areas and the recession.

According to an announcement from the Idaho Department of Labor (IDL) Thursday, Kilbane will "offer the Obama Administration’s perspective on energizing the nation’s rural areas as they come out of the current recession." The conference, entitled the 2010 Rural Conference, is designed to bring members of various communities and sectors of business to discuss job creation, careers in renewable energy fields, creating an "entrepreneurial atmosphere," as well as "how to convince young people to stay in their communities, strategies for economic development and initiatives to meet current and future demands for education and training."

Also speaking at the event will be Cheryl Cook, U.S. Department of Agriculture Deputy Undersecretary for Rural Development, who will talk with conference-goers about techniques to revitalize rural economies.

The conference will be held May 4-6 at the Coeur D'Alene Resort. It is sponsored by a myriad of groups and government agencies, including IDL, WorkSource Oregon, the Oregon Consortium and Oregon Workforce Alliance, Idaho National Laboratory, the Idaho Rural Partnership, and the Idaho Economic Development Association. Registration costs $325, and covers all three days of programming, as well as meals.