Develop. director at mid-year briefing

VW independent/submitted information

Van Wert County Economic Development Director Sarah Smith  attended the Ohio Economic Development Association’s mid-year briefing in Dublin on Thursday, and provided a report to the Van Wert County Board of Commissioners on what she learned.

Smith said she heard presenters from both Jobs Ohio and the Ohio Development Services Agency (ODSA) on topics ranging from year-to-date metrics, marketing plans, what is new with Jobs Ohio programs, and the strategy for growth set by the Jobs Ohio team that focuses on foreign direct investment and attraction efforts to grow more jobs for Ohioans.

ODSA Director David Goodman spoke on several topics, including putting more money into local communities and capitalizing on visitors to the community by targeting travel and tourism. Daryl Hennessy, ODSA chief-Business Services Division, touched on the issue of workforce development and offered the available ODSA programs to build a stronger workforce, as well as mentioned some of the new tools the state has put in place to help connect workers to employers and get the right job matched with the right skilled worker.

“We have to have communities that are going to attract the people — the businesses and jobs we are looking to locate,” said Sadicka White, Community Services Division chief.

“So many tools are available to the county through state programs and organizations like OEDA,” said Smith. “Bringing that information back to Van Wert and utilizing it effectively is the goal.”

The commissioners commented that it’s information like this that will prove to be invaluable when it comes to moving forward with economic development for the county. They also noted the Ohio Economic Development Association opens its meetings to all interested economic development professionals and elected officials, even to both members and non-members of OEDA.