March 1, 2017 at 6:23 p.m.
JCDC looking toward future
JCDC looking toward future
At one time, the goals of economic development were fairly narrow — jobs, jobs, jobs.
Those days are gone, says Jay County Development Corporation executive director Bill Bradley.
That’s why it’s time to reassess.
JCDC is about to enter the beginning stages of developing a new plan to guide the organization through the next five years.
“We’ve been looking at the changing face of economic development. And it is changing quite a bit,” said Bradley, noting both workforce development and community development as key issues. “It is no longer what we used to call exclusively ‘smoke stack chasing.’ It is now people chasing, actually.
“It’s an issue of people.
“The landscape has changed tremendously. … It’s time to either change or reaffirm our basic goals for the organization, in my opinion.”
Bradley is still working an agreement — it will cost about $7,000, which will come from the JCDC budget, a grant from The Portland Foundation and local donations — with Purdue Center for Regional Development to guide the corporation through a strategic planning process, but he’s already lined up several speakers for his board members to give them a head start.
Dan Zuerner of Garmong Construction, Terre Haute, will speak at 4 p.m. March 16 at Community Resource Center in Portland. Michael Hicks, a Ball State University economics professor will visit the organization’s regularly scheduled board meeting April 4 to address the board, and economist and columnist Morton J. Marcus will also visit Jay County to share his thoughts later in April.
“As a precursor … what I wanted the board to hear are trends in economic and community development,” said Bradley. “I want them to hear divergent views.
“I hope they can realize that the methods we used 10, 15 years ago aren’t necessarily the methods we’re going to use now. It has to be, clearly, different than what we’ve done before.”
After listening to what those experts have to say, those involved in the strategic planning process — Bradley said he hopes to include local business leaders in addition to the JCDC board — will hold a series of meetings.
Those days are gone, says Jay County Development Corporation executive director Bill Bradley.
That’s why it’s time to reassess.
JCDC is about to enter the beginning stages of developing a new plan to guide the organization through the next five years.
“We’ve been looking at the changing face of economic development. And it is changing quite a bit,” said Bradley, noting both workforce development and community development as key issues. “It is no longer what we used to call exclusively ‘smoke stack chasing.’ It is now people chasing, actually.
“It’s an issue of people.
“The landscape has changed tremendously. … It’s time to either change or reaffirm our basic goals for the organization, in my opinion.”
Bradley is still working an agreement — it will cost about $7,000, which will come from the JCDC budget, a grant from The Portland Foundation and local donations — with Purdue Center for Regional Development to guide the corporation through a strategic planning process, but he’s already lined up several speakers for his board members to give them a head start.
Dan Zuerner of Garmong Construction, Terre Haute, will speak at 4 p.m. March 16 at Community Resource Center in Portland. Michael Hicks, a Ball State University economics professor will visit the organization’s regularly scheduled board meeting April 4 to address the board, and economist and columnist Morton J. Marcus will also visit Jay County to share his thoughts later in April.
“As a precursor … what I wanted the board to hear are trends in economic and community development,” said Bradley. “I want them to hear divergent views.
“I hope they can realize that the methods we used 10, 15 years ago aren’t necessarily the methods we’re going to use now. It has to be, clearly, different than what we’ve done before.”
After listening to what those experts have to say, those involved in the strategic planning process — Bradley said he hopes to include local business leaders in addition to the JCDC board — will hold a series of meetings.
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