Transit

Much has been written about the disruptions of COVID-19 on every line of business. In the realm of economic development, this has included a recommitment to retention and expansion programs, touting quality of life to capture the influx of remote workers, a rush to virtual site tours, and many other endeavors. All of these adjustments will play a part in a community’s success in the years to come. But it seems that when all of them are stacked up, they point to the foundation of a community — or to use a construction expression, they reveal whether a community ha...

Double-digit unemployment — that’s where my career in economic development began. As the country struggled to pull itself out of the Great Recession, I spent my days in workforce and economic development activities ranging from assisting displaced workers to providing resources to businesses to aiding communities in creating a better tomorrow. I was fortunate to cut my economic development teeth in East Central Indiana, between the state’s largest and third largest cities (Indianapolis and Fort Wayne). The area’s largest city is Muncie (pop. 68,000), home to Ball State University, and the smallest is Jonesboro (pop. 1,600). Read full article.