Who wouldn’t want to come into a large sum of money? Assuming you won the lottery or inherited your long lost late aunt’s estate, wouldn’t you take some time to figure out how to best invest to make the most of those resources for the future? It’s called planning. Businesses, organizations and communities who are interested in longevity and growth engage in it frequently. Oftentimes, the process yields a plan. OSU Extension Community Development professionals provide the skills and experience needed to bring individuals together to develop a community plan with long-lasting positive outcomes.
Most recently, two OSU Extension Community Development colleagues partnered with local leaders in the Village of Mount Victory (Ohio) to facilitate a plan for the business community. Nancy Bowen and Greg Moon took the community’s business owners and public officials through a research and data analysis process to identify the strengths in the local economy as well as the concerns and obstacles business owners faced. The outcome of the process was a report and recommendations with specific action items to help overcome community challenges. Village leadership has already put those recommendations into motion and brought what were many different ideas and efforts into a concerted effort. To see the report, click here. If you are interested in learning more, contact Nancy Bowen (bowen-ellzey.1@osu.edu) or Greg Moon (moon.123@osu.edu).
(Submitted by Greg Moon, Extension Educator, Wyandot County & Erie Basin EERA, and Nancy Bowen-Ellzey, Extension Field Specialist, Community Economics)
Yes, I agree…a more formal curriculum would be helpful. The great thing about this program is that it provides a low cost analysis method and planning process for small/rural communities that can be done in a short time frame.
Good idea! Anyone who is interested in partnering with us on this idea, please contact me at bowen-ellzey.1@osu.edu
This is neat. Would you consider developing a curriculum and training so others could replicate it around the state? It would be a neat way for Extension peers to connect with local leaders and demonstrate impacts.