Rural community colleges are faced with issues similar to their urban counterparts, but many challenges for rural schools are further exacerbated by limited resources, geographic isolation, and a static economy. This paper argues that the difference between success and failure can be the ability to create strong partnerships. Of the 15 colleges in the Colorado Community College System, 7 are rural, 2 are located in mountain communities, and 6 are in urban areas. Approximately three-quarters of the colleges have multiple campuses, many in rural locations. The Colorado Rural Development Council (CRDC, a part of the National Rural Development Partnership) was created in 1993 to improve school-business relationships for rural schools. A 30-member interim steering committee was created from the 300-plus people attending a statewide conference on rural development. The interim steering committee hired the Council's executive director, who was assigned the task of convening networking community meetings in order to create the CRDC board. Each CRDC has two private, two nonprofit, and two local government representatives. CRDC meetings are preceded by community forums, which provide input regarding the issues. The Council creates its Annual Plan using these common issues. The paper gives a brief history of the CRDC from its inception to the present. (Author/NB)