ED NOW Training, Huge Success Throughout APEG Region

Heather Church,
APEG Director of Marketing/Communication

APEG partnered with OEDA, Bricker & Eckler, JobsOhio and Ohio University’s Voinovich School to bring first-ever elected official training to the region. 

Local elected officials, candidates, board members, volunteers and local development professionals gathered in three locations throughout the APEG region in September and early October to learn how to effectively guide their community’s future locally.

The trainings, sponsored by local development districts, OMEGA, OVRDC and Buckeye Hills Regional Council (BHRC), were held at Zane State College-Cambridge, OSU South Centers, Piketon, and BHRC in Marietta. Over 150 individuals participated. All three locations were well attended and highly praised.

“As a retired banker now actively engaged in economic development for Morgan County, the recent meetings have been extremely helpful in many ways,” said Carl Raines, Executive Director, Morgan County Improvement Corporation, McConnelsville OH. “Listening to and learning from the other area economic development professionals sharing their respective progresses and challenges has been beneficial.”

The program’s modules were presented by individuals from various organizations that work in the economic development sphere, including Ohio University, JobsOhio, Bricker & Eckler, OEDA, many APEG LEDOs, mayors, regional utility companies and more.  Topics included:

• The Regional Economy in Perspective
• Your Community’s Role in the Ohio Economic Development System and How to Expand its Needed Infrastructure
• Is your Community Ready for the Site Selector?
• Case Studies on Projects and Tools (two panel discussions)

“The ED Now training course is a bold step forward by the OEDA and APEG in helping educate our elected officials and our stakeholders on the complex economic development programs that we as local practitioners navigate on a daily basis,“ said  Sam Brady, Executive Director, Jackson County Economic Development Partnership, Jackson OH. “ED Now will be an essential tool in helping build economic development champions in our communities. JEDISO is proud to have partnered with APEG to provide scholarships for this event. We cannot thank Fluor BWXT enough for their financial support of this crucial educational course.”

At APEG we hope is to offer subsequent trainings in the coming years with the goal of continuing to advance the region through partnerships and collaboration. We are grateful to all of our partners who helped to make these events a great success.

JEDISO offered scholarships for the Piketon event. Those participants are pictured left. Front Row: Daphne Mosley, Pike County Office of Community & Economic Development, Tiffany Ridgeway, Jackson County Auditor-Elect, Diane Ward, Adams County Commissioner, Sharon Manson, Pike County CVB, Shirley Bandy, Pike County Chamber of Commerce, Cathy Coleman, Scioto County Commissioner, Paul Haller, Jackson County Commissioner, Gary Arnett, Pike County Office of Community & Economic Development (JEDISO Partner), Middle Row: Jennifer Chandler, Piketon Village Council member, Back Row: Jon Hensler, Jackson City Council, Randy Heath, Jackson City Mayor, Phil Clyburn, President, Greenfield Village Council, Randy Evans, Randy Evans Construction, Robert Horton, Scioto County Economic Development (JEDISO Partner), Sam Brady, Jackson County Economic Development Partnership (JEDISO Partner/Chair).