Board meets incoming CEO

Members of Jay County Development Corporation said goodbye to a leader of an area not-for-profit organization and met the man who will be stepping in to her position.
Outgoing Alliance for Strategic Growth CEO Barbara Street and future CEO Mike Row spoke Tuesday at JCDC’s regular meeting. Street talked to the JCDC board about changes during her time with ASG, which administers WorkOne in eastern Indiana, and Row expressed his excitement about the future.
The board also heard an update from community developer Ami Huffman about a United States Department of Agriculture grant that could help Redkey with its sewer separation project.
Street, a Portland resident who will retire after the first of the year, said she’s been proud of steps ASG has taken in providing services both for young people and for adults who need help with workforce training. She emphasized the continued growing importance of technology and the need to refocus on vocational and technical education in an effort to prepare students for jobs after graduation.
“Workforce development … became a part of economic development. I think today across the state, certainly across our region, and across the nation, we are seeing more and more of that occurring. We really have to pay attention to the skills folks have …”
Row, who formerly worked for Edge Manufacturing in Bluffton, noted that he’s looking forward to continuing the work Street has done over the years. In addition to his time at Edge, he was also the executive director of economic development in Wells County for five years, as well as an administrator at Taylor and Indiana Wesleyan universities.
“It’s a privilege to follow Barb in this leadership role,” Row said. “Our goal is to create a vibrant, fluid, very quick-to-act organization that adapts with the ever changing, ultra competitive global economy. Whatever you need, we want to be there to serve.”
Bill Bradley, JCDC’s executive director, thanked Street for her service.
“In the world of workforce development, there is nobody who has stood out … as much as Barb Street,” said Bradley. “Barb is legendary. …
“You have a reputation that is outstanding,” he added, addressing Street directly. “We wish you the best in retirement.”
During her update to the board, Huffman said Redkey is expecting to hear this month about it grant it applied for that would help cover the complete cost of the town’s sewer separation project.
With Huffman’s help, Redkey applied for an $8 million grant from the USDA. If approved, the town would provide $2 million in matching funds, with the $10 million total to pay for separating storm and sanitary sewers throughout the town.
“This was our Hail Mary shot,” said Huffman, noting that the town will have difficulty complying with the mandated sewer separation if the grant is not approved. “We’re hoping.”
Huffman also said there have been setbacks with a potential senior housing project in Dunkirk, but work on the proposal is continuing. She also praised efforts in the city to improve the Todd Building and said representatives from Pennville were in Indianapolis on Tuesday to receive a grant that will help the town pay for a new rescue truck for the fire department.
In other business, the board:
•Learned from Bradley that Jay County is estimated to receive more than $800,000 in 2014 for economic development from Local Option Income Tax (LOIT). That number includes more than $500,000 for Jay County, $208,652 for Portland, $64,103 for Dunkirk and $14,435 for Redkey.
“We were at about $750,000 total (last year),” said Bradley. “We have increased, which is good.”
•Approved a three-year contract with Jay County Commissioners in which the county will provide JCDC with $217,000 annually in funding. Of that money, $130,000 will go toward economic development and $87,000 will go toward community development. Commissioners had already approved the agreement.
•Heard Portland Mayor Randy Geesaman praise TLS by Design, a local furniture manufacturer, for its work at the former Sheller Globe north building located on Bridge Street. TLS bought the building in February and has been working toward moving in to its new home.
•Learned from Bradley that work has begun to draft an update to the JCDC bylaws and prepare a budget for 2014. The budget should be ready for a vote at the organization’s December meeting, and the bylaws should be prepared in January, he said.[[In-content Ad]]