The Eric Adams appearance in Wisconsin is the latest reminder that local trust has to be earned.
By Adam Waitkunas
Every few weeks, the data center industry seems to provide another reminder that community engagement isn’t just another box to check before the permitting process begins.
This week, it happened in Wisconsin Rapids.
Former New York City Mayor Eric Adams took the stage on behalf of a proposed 209-acre data center development. Before he could get through his introduction, the boos began. Residents interrupted him with accusations that the project would “steal our water,” while others questioned why someone from New York was there to sell a project in central Wisconsin.
Whether fair or unfair, the meeting quickly became less about the project itself and more about the people delivering the message.
And that’s precisely the lesson.
The issue wasn’t whether Eric Adams is an accomplished public official or an effective advocate. The mistake was assuming that a nationally recognized figure could substitute for the one thing every successful project requires: local trust.
Community Engagement Isn’t a Presentation. It’s a Relationship.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with hiring experienced public affairs professionals, communications consultants, or outside advisors. In fact, every major development should.
But there’s an important distinction between advising a project and becoming the face of it.
When residents gather at a public meeting, they’re not looking for the person with the most impressive résumé. They’re looking for the people who will own the project, operate it, answer questions five years from now, and remain accountable long after the consultants have gone home.
Communities don’t want to feel like they’re being sold a project.
They want to know their concerns have been heard by the people asking to become their neighbors.
Those are two very different conversations.
Every Community Is Unique—and Deserves a Tailored Approach
One of the industry’s most common mistakes is assuming the same engagement strategy works everywhere.
It doesn’t.
The meeting that resonates in Northern Virginia may fall flat in rural Wisconsin. The messaging that works in suburban Texas may create skepticism in upstate New York. Every community has its own history, values, concerns, and expectations. Some respond to economic development. Others want to talk about water, farmland, or quality of life before they ever discuss tax revenue.
Developers spend months studying transmission capacity, fiber routes, environmental constraints, and zoning requirements before selecting a site.
They should spend just as much time understanding the community they’re asking to host their project.
The Industry’s Trust Deficit Is Growing
This strategic misstep comes at a particularly challenging time.
Across the country, communities are becoming more organized, local officials are adopting stricter regulations, and residents are asking tougher questions about power, water, land use, and economic benefits.
Whether every concern is technically accurate almost becomes secondary.
The reality is that many communities no longer automatically trust developers. That trust has to be earned.
When trust is already fragile, every misstep becomes magnified. A meeting intended to build confidence can instead reinforce the perception that outside interests are arriving with a predetermined script rather than a willingness to listen.
The industry simply can’t afford those mistakes anymore.
The Ground Game Starts Months Before the Public Meeting
The most successful projects rarely begin at the podium.
They begin months earlier.
Long before the first press release.
Long before the first open house.
Long before the first permit application.
Developers should already know who the respected voices are within the community. Which civic leaders are trusted? Which business owners have influence? Which residents ask thoughtful questions? Who do neighbors turn to when important issues arise?
Those people often become a project’s most valuable ambassadors—not because they’re paid advocates, but because they’ve had the opportunity to ask difficult questions, receive honest answers, and evaluate the project on its merits.
You don’t find those individuals by accident.
You identify them through meaningful community engagement, careful stakeholder research, and local due diligence.
That is the ground game.
If You Don’t Have a Local Ambassador, Lead From the Front
Not every project will have respected local voices willing to publicly support it before the first community meeting. That’s okay.
But if a developer hasn’t yet earned that level of local trust, the answer isn’t to fly in a high-profile spokesperson. It’s for the developer’s own leadership to step forward.
A senior executive—someone empowered to make decisions and accountable for the project’s success—should be the face of the conversation. Communities want to hear directly from the people asking to become part of their town, not someone hired to deliver the message.
There’s a powerful signal that comes from a CEO, founder, or senior executive standing in front of a room and saying, “I’m here to listen. I’m here to answer your questions. And I’ll still be here after tonight’s meeting.”
That kind of visibility demonstrates ownership, accountability, and respect. It tells residents that community engagement isn’t being delegated—it is a leadership priority.
People Trust Their Neighbors More Than They Trust Outsiders
One respected local resident saying, “I’ve done my homework, I’ve asked tough questions, and here’s why I believe this project deserves consideration,” carries more weight than almost any consultant or outside spokesperson ever could.
Communities have always trusted neighbors more than outsiders.
The smartest developers recognize that reality and build their engagement strategies around it. They invest in identifying trusted local voices early, while ensuring their own leadership remains visible and engaged throughout the process.
The goal should never be to win the room with the best presentation.
The goal should be to walk into a room where trust has already begun to take root.
The Bottom Line
The boos in Wisconsin weren’t really about Eric Adams.
They were about a much larger issue.
Too many developers continue to invest extraordinary resources in engineering, financing, and site selection while treating community relationships as something that can be built a few weeks before a public meeting.
It doesn’t work.
Community acceptance isn’t created by bringing in a recognizable name. It isn’t built through polished presentations or carefully crafted talking points.
It’s earned through months of listening, transparency, relationship-building, and genuine local engagement.
In today’s environment, community trust has become just as critical to a project’s success as power availability, fiber connectivity, or land.
And unlike those resources, it can’t be outsourced.
Be Ready Before the First Public Meeting?
The difference between a productive community meeting and a contentious one is rarely what happens that night. It’s everything that happens beforehand.
At Milldam Public Relations, we’ve developed our Data Center Community Risk & Readiness Assessment to help developers understand local sentiment, identify potential issues before they become headlines, map trusted stakeholders, and build the relationships necessary to earn community trust long before the first permit hearing.
Learn more about Milldam’s community engagement services and the Data Center Community Risk & Readiness Assessment at:
