Economic developers worldwide told to stay the course

Economic developers world-wide are being advised to hunker down, keep working and stay the course during the recession, said Connie Ova, chief executive officer of the Jamestown/Stutsman Development Corp.

Ova recently attended the International Economic Development Council’s Leadership Conference joined by other economic developers in the state. The message of stay the course permeated the conference, Ova said, whether the developers were from the United States, Germany or the United Kingdom, small rural towns or large urban centers.

“There are certain communities and states that think, when times are tough, economic development should go,” said Klaus Thiesen, president and CEO of the Grand Forks Region Economic Development Corp. and IEDC Board member. “But the opposite is true; that’s the time to look forward. Keep on top of the changes out there and how they’ll impact you, because we’re all going to be forced to change.”

Much of the conference focused on President Barack Obama’s proposed stimulus package as it related to economic development. Much of what North Dakota and Jamestown are doing is in the package, offering federal support for areas such as work force training, renewable energy development, and entrepreneurship. But Ova said it’s time to reach higher.

For more on the story, read Saturday’s Sun.

Sun reporter Toni Pirkl can be reached at (701) 952-8453 or by e-mail at tonip@jamestownsun.com

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