Southern Indiana Business Report
FRENCH LICK — The fifth annual Radius Indiana economic development course at French Lick Resort concluded May 19, graduating community leaders from seven Indiana counties.
Participants in the Radius Indiana Economic Development for Community Leadership Program attended educational sessions on topics related to local economic development, networked with other community leaders, and built skills in strategic planning and community problem-solving.
“The economic development field is constantly changing and we are grateful for the continued trust from leaders in southern Indiana to educate them on many aspects of the industry,” said Radius Indiana President and CEO Jeff Quyle. “We will continue to grow and evolve this program to best serve our region and state.”
The program is the only course of its kind to be offered in the Southern Indiana area. Since the first course in 2017, nearly 150 people representing 25 Indiana counties have gathered to learn from national and regional speakers about topics and skills including site development, business attraction, workforce, marketing, quality of place, business finance and incentives, and entrepreneurship.
This year’s course’s registrants included city, town and county representatives, consultants, economic development professionals, utility representatives, and marketing specialists.
“Being new in the economic development world, the course was beyond beneficial for me. There are so many moving parts in the day-to-day work, and it was nice to be able to sit down and have a few key components explained in detail,” said Shea Jones, business office manager for Daviess County Economic Development Corporation, who participated in this year’s course. “It doesn’t matter if you have been in economic development for five months or five years — it is always beneficial to learn from others.”
Course speaker Courtney Zaugg, founder and CEO of Plaka + Associates, joined the conference on day two to discuss entrepreneurship-led economic development. “I always enjoy engaging with community leaders who are interested in learning about innovative ways to grow their economies,” said Zaugg. “Learning about the beneficial impacts of entrepreneurship-led economic development (and then implementing them) will solidify the Radius Region’s place as a key leader of economic development throughout the state.”
Other sessions and speakers included representatives from economic development groups and consultants including Regional Opportunity Initiatives, the Purdue Center for Regional Development, Indiana Small Business Development Center, local universities and university-led groups, state-run organizations, and finance companies.
Corporate sponsors and scholarships helped fund the program, including generous support from Hoosier Energy, Runnebohm Construction, Milestone Contractors, Smithville Fiber, Duke Energy, Clark Dietz, and Indiana Municipal Power Agency.
Those interested in attending a Radius Indiana course in the future should contact the Radius office at 812-277-9778.
About Radius Indiana
Radius Indiana is a regional economic development partnership representing eight counties in Southern Indiana: Crawford, Daviess, Dubois, Greene, Lawrence, Martin, Orange, and Washington. Formed in 2009, Radius Indiana also serves as a point of contact in Indiana for Naval Support Activity Crane and leads regional collaboration by leveraging the diverse assets of the region to drive attraction, retention and expansion of business, with the aim of increasing employment and investment opportunities and quality of life within the region.