Development group has annual dinner

DAVE MOSIER/independent editor

Ohio Department of Development Director Christiane Schmenk praised local development efforts as she helped the Van Wert County Economic Development Group celebrate during its annual dinner held Thursday night at Willow Bend Country Club.

The event was sponsored by Van Wert County Hospital, Central Insurance Companies and Citizens National Bank.

Schmenk received a warm round of applause after she spoke to the approximately 150 people who attended the event about Ohio Governor John Kasich’s efforts to revamp her department, but it was nothing like the standing ovation given Darlene Myers when she received the “Volunteer of the Year” award from Jon Rhoades.

Myers was shocked when her name was announced — especially surprising to her since she was in charge of organizing the dinner — and spoke with emotion about her gratitude at the recognition of her commitment to local economic development.

Rhoades spoke glowingly about Myers, who essentially has been doing two jobs until a new economic development director is hired, which may be several months down the road.

“Our volunteer is someone who has taken on responsibilities that we really weren’t expecting,” Rhoades said of Myers, who has been running the local economic development office on her own most of the year, following Nancy Bowen’s promotion in February and then Sarah Smith’s early departure after only a brief time on the job.

Myers also thanked those who “have come to my rescue” to assist with running the office, including Rhoades, who heads the Community Improvement Corporation (CIC), Van Wert Mayor Don Farmer, and the county commissioners.

Also honored Thursday was Unverferth Manufacturing, a growing presence in the agricultural implement industry, as this year’s “Enterprise of the Year”. Delphos Safety-Service Director Greg Berquist, who is also president of the economic development group, noted that the company, which is located just outside Delphos and added 205,000 square feet to its plant there, employs more than 100 people at its facilities in Delphos, Kalida and Shell Rock, Iowa.

Larry Unverferth accepted the award and thanked Delphos city and county officials for their assistance to the company’s expansion efforts. “We are happy to receive this award because we have an excellent, excellent workforce, and without them this would not be possible,” he added.

Earlier in the evening, local attorney Chuck Koch was recognized for his pro bono legal work putting together purchase option contracts signed by those who own land in the 1,500-acre Jobs Ready Site megasite.

“…my wife and I have made the commitment to leave this community better than when we first came here,” said Koch, a Van Wert native who is also on the board of the Niswonger Performing Arts Center (NPAC). “Anything we can do to make that happen, I’m just happy to do it.”

During her presentation, Schmenk talked about the partial privatization of the ODOD, and efforts to add regional partners to better serve the state’s communities.

Schmenk, who was formerly mayor of Marysville, toured the NPAC, ambulance maker Braun Industries, Vantage Career Center and a drive-by look at the megasite on Thursday afternoon. She praised local development efforts, noting: “You all have your act together; I think you have for awhile. We at the state, I think, are now getting our act together…”

Earlier, County Commissioner Thad Lichtensteiger and Mayor Farmer provided an update on local development in the past year, citing a number of important projects in the county that have been completed, or are ongoing.

To end the evening, Berquist passed the gavel to Denise Frey, his successor as president of the local economic development group.