The Town of Burns Harbor Redevelopment Commission (RDC) President Greg Miller and staff member Joe Rurode successfully completed an economic development course.
The Indiana Economic Development Course took place the week of Jan. 12 to 16 at the Horizon Convention Center in downtown Muncie. Offered annually by Building Better Communities at Ball State University, the course provided intensive training in the basic concepts, methods and strategies of economic, industrial, business and community development. The course is accredited by the International Economic Development Council (IEDC).
The weeklong course provided continuing education directly applicable to the Burns Harbor RDC’s current initiatives and projects.
“There was a lot of information packed into just five days of classes, especially about how to help grow communities,” Miller said. “Business retention and expansion is a large part of it, but also holistic quality of life.”
Rurode added, “The course provided unique perspectives on recognizing unrealized assets within a city or town. Burns Harbor is very much a blank canvas in terms of economic development potential and we’ll certainly be able to leverage the course’s resources for later use.” Rurode serves as the RDC’s economic development coordinator.
The course focused on topics including: business retention and expansion, economic development finance, small business and entrepreneurship development, community/neighborhood development, real estate development and reuse, workforce development, development and the environment, international trade, and existing industry development.
Course expenses were provided by one of the many sponsors, NIPSCO. Don Babcock, director of economic development, said, “Every year NIPSCO is pleased to offer the Ball State Economic Development Scholarship to economic development leaders like those in Burns Harbor who are making a difference in their communities and Northern Indiana. Over the years, we have provided over 200 scholarships.”