Capital Comments
Looking Back 25 Years — 24 October 2025
I’ve been writing this column once a month for 25 years. Last month marked the 300th column. Let’s do one more, number 301. And...
Strengthen the capacity of local leaders, residents, businesses, and organizations to build resilient, inclusive, and sustainable communities through research-based resources and processes
News and Stories
Community
A Collaborative Partner for Small Town and Rural Planners — 17 October 2025
A Collaborative Partner for Small Town and Rural Planners
Education
Community
Technology
2025 Fall Digital Ready Businesses Webinar Series — 18 September 2025
Purdue Extension can help your business become more digitally savvy.
Community
Process Drives Impact: Our Approach to Community Partnership — 18 September 2025
To accomplish our mission, we must effectively collaborate with our partners at all levels to identify priorities and develop targeted courses of...
Capital Comments
Property Tax Reform: Phasing Out, Phasing In — 12 September 2025
The Indiana General Assembly passed a bill to reform property taxes back in April. It’s the third big reform of the past 50 years, after the...
Capital Comments
The Incredible Shrinking Tax Base — 28 August 2025
The Indiana Constitution of 1851 had a very broad idea of what should be taxed by the property tax. Basically: tax everything. It said the General...
Capital Comments
Are Higher Tariffs Causing Inflation? — 26 July 2025
First, are tariffs higher? It’s been hard to follow the many impositions, cancellations, negotiations and pauses in tariff policy. But one...
Capital Comments
Indiana’s County Assessors Predict Home Values Well — and that’s the Problem — 26 June 2025
Indiana uses an assessment standard for property taxes called “market value in use.” The assessment is the value of the property...
Community
Community Development’s close ties to NACDEP continue with next association president — 12 June 2025
In 2006, when Purdue Extension’s community development director Michael Wilcox joined the National Association of Community Development...
Capital Comments
The Personal Property Exemption: Not so Minimal Anymore — 20 May 2025
Sometimes taxes cost more to collect than the revenue they generate. Back in 2015, the Indiana General Assembly recognized one example. Back then,...
Community
Sine Qua Non (An Ode to Kris Parker) — 06 May 2025
In community development, we are always concerned about our success and impact on communities, so we focus on measurement and evaluation, or...
Capital Comments
Capital Comments: The Big Property Tax Bill Also Reforms the Local Income Tax — 25 April 2025
The governor signed Senate Bill 1 into law on April 15, 2025. This is the bill that was introduced with the governor’s big tax cuts for...
Community
Environment
Community leaders can learn about wind, solar energy during R-STEP workshops and bus tours — 22 April 2025
March 4 marked the first renewable energy regional workshop and bus tour hosted by the Center for Energy Education, Purdue Extension community...
Community
Technology
Digital Transformation Team Set to Launch Digital Education Programming — 08 April 2025
The Digital Transformation Team (DTT) has been working to provide digital education programming for communities in Indiana. The DTT is a...
Capital Comments
Capital Comments: The Indiana Property Tax: It’s Complicated — 27 March 2025
The Indiana property tax is complicated. Each spring the county treasurer reminds us just how complicated it is, by mailing form TS-1,...
Capital Comments
Capital Comments: Property Tax Reform: What’s Going on in the Room Where it Happens? — 21 February 2025
The Indiana General Assembly is debating property tax reform. Senate Bill 1 is a focus of the debate. The original bill introduced in January...
Capital Comments
Capital Comments: Property Taxes on Farmland May Be Reformed — 24 January 2025
Property taxes on farmland went up a lot in 2023 and 2024. They’ll be going up a lot in 2025 too. The reason is the rise in the base rate of...
Capital Comments
Capital Comments: Scrooge and Malthus — 26 November 2024
It’s a strange line, though. There’s a “surplus population”? Great Britain’s population in 1840 was 18.5 million....
Capital Comments
Capital Comments: Policies to Cut Homeowner Property Taxes — 24 October 2024
Suppose we want to cut property taxes for homeowners. How could we do that? Probably we should start with another question: Why would we want to...
Capital Comments
Capital Comments: The Federal Reserve Makes Its Move — 26 September 2024
The Federal Reserve’s press release from Sept. 18 said it would “lower the target range for the federal funds rate by 1/2 percentage...
Capital Comments
Capital Comments: How Do We Know If a Recession Has Started? — 26 August 2024
How do we know if a recession has started? Sometimes it’s obvious. In March 2020 during the pandemic emergency, weekly applications for...
Capital Comments
Capital Comments: Balances Cover Shortfalls in Indiana’s State Budget — 25 July 2024
In fiscal 2024, revenues were 1.4 percent higher than in 2023. That’s much slower growth than the 9.3 percent annual average from the past...
Capital Comments
Capital Comments: Fifty Years of Indiana Property Tax Policy — 27 June 2024
Indiana voters elected Otis Bowen as Governor in 1972 on a pledge of “visible, lasting and substantial” property tax relief. The slogan...
Capital Comments
Capital Comments: What Will Happen When the Social Security Trust Fund Runs Out? — 23 May 2024
Social Security trustees just published their annual report about the program’s finances. They predict that the combined $2.8 trillion...
Education
Environment
Community
Agriculture
TCTAC May 2024 Update — 16 May 2024
Capital Comments
Capital Comments: The Envelope from the County Treasurer — 25 April 2024
It was printed in bold letters on the front of the envelope. “Open Immediately. Property Tax Notice Enclosed.” It was the annual...
Agriculture
Community
Education
Environment
April TCTAC Grants — 11 April 2024
Purdue Extension Community Development is the Indiana lead for the Great Lakes Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Technical Assistance...
Agriculture
Community
Family
Environment
Education
A Total Eclipse of the Hoosier Heartland — 11 April 2024
April 8th was a planning challenge for many rural communities in the path of totality from Texas to New York. Here in Indiana, Purdue Extension...
Environment
Community
Health
Harm Reduction Brief — 04 April 2024
Communities and people in Indiana are adversely affected by substance use disorders. In Indiana, 1 in 12 people meet criteria for a SUD —...
Capital Comments
Capital Comments: A Simple View of the Economy Helps Us Understand Growth — 22 March 2024
People use tools to make goods and services, which other people buy. Gross domestic product is our measure of the value of goods and services. It...
Agriculture
Education
Environment
Community
Great Lakes Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Technical Assistance Center (TCTAC) — 20 March 2024
Purdue Extension Community Development is the Indiana lead for the Great Lakes Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Technical Assistance...
Environment
Agriculture
Community
Community Listening Session — 13 March 2024
Purdue Extension was selected by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) to co-host a community listening session on end-of-service...
Capital Comments
Capital Comments: How Much Will Homeowner Property Tax Bills Rise in 2024? — 22 February 2024
Last year Indiana homeowners were hit with property tax bill increases averaging 17 percent, an extraordinary increase. Will it happen again in...
Capital Comments
Capital Comments: Farmland Property Taxes May Keep Increasing — 24 January 2024
The memo was posted at the end of December, on the Indiana Department of Local Government Finance website. It announced the base rate for farmland...
Capital Comments
Capital Comments: Taking Inflation Apart — 19 December 2023
Since then inflation has come down a lot. As of November 2023, prices were 3.1 percent higher than a year before. That’s good news.
Community
Helping Those Most in Need — 14 December 2023
As we enter the 'holiday season,' I encourage you to reflect on how you can make a positive difference in the lives of those who need...
Capital Comments
Capital Comments: How Much Will Homeowner Property Taxes Rise in 2024? — 20 November 2023
The second installment for 2023 property taxes was due earlier this month. If you’re a homeowner, either you sent a check to your county...
Capital Comments
Capital Comments: How Can a Homeowner Calculate the Cost of a School Referendum? — 26 October 2023
Election Day is coming up, and 12 Indiana school districts have put property tax referendums on the ballot. Voters who own homes will want to know,...
Capital Comments
How Do States Manage Without Individual Income Taxes? — 22 September 2023
Indiana has an individual income tax to help pay for state services. Indiana raises about $8 billion a year from its state income tax, which is 36%...
Community
How Are YOU Doing? — 14 September 2023
How Are YOU Doing? Last week, I had the opportunity to present in Perry County, Indiana – a place I like to think of as a home away from...
Capital Comments
Capital Comments: Supply Chain Pressure is Easing, and so is Inflation — 24 August 2023
The 12-month inflation rate began to rise in early 2021 and peaked at 8.9 percent in June 2022. Since then it’s fallen to 3.3 percent. Not so...
Capital Comments
Capital Comments: Indiana State Balances and the Pension Stabilization Fund — 26 July 2023
The Indiana fiscal new year is upon us, having begun on July 1. The big New Year’s celebration happened on July 13, with the...
Capital Comments
Capital Comments: Will the Inflation Rate Keep Falling? — 29 June 2023
Inflation is coming down. The Bureau of Labor Statistics, which measures the Consumer Price Index, reported the 12-month inflation rate for May at...
Community
Total Eclipse 2024 Resource Hub — 07 June 2023
On April 8, 2024 much of Indiana will experience a total solar eclipse with the path of totality covering much of southern and central Indiana.
Capital Comments
Capital Comments: The General Assembly Delivers Some Property Tax Relief — 24 May 2023
Indiana homeowner tax bills increased 17 percent on average this year, the largest increase in years. Other property owners saw big increases too....
Community
Looking to the Sky — 11 May 2023
In 2012, I served as president-elect of the National Association of Community Development Extension Professionals (NACDEP).
Capital Comments
Capital Comments: An Extra Billion and a Half in State Revenue — 26 April 2023
The state revenue forecast upped its prediction of revenues for the rest of this fiscal year and the coming biennium, 2023-25, by $1.5 billion over...
Capital Comments
Capital Comments: Property Tax Bills are Increasing a Lot in 2023 — 23 March 2023
Indiana county treasurers soon will mail property tax bills to owners of homes, rental housing, farmland, and businesses. Most will see big...
Community
Thinking Broadly About Broadband — 09 March 2023
Nearly eighty-seven years ago, on May 20, 1936, the Rural Electrification Act was passed. At the time, an estimated ninety percent of farms in...
Community
Beginner’s Tips for Drafting Grant Budgets — 09 March 2023
If there’s a phrase from Purdue Extension’s Beginner’s Guide to Grant Writing workshop that solicits the most fear and...
Capital Comments
Capital Comments: Solar Energy Projects and Property Taxes — 22 February 2023
Utilities are building a lot of solar energy projects in Indiana. Fields of solar panels will become a common part of our landscape. This may help...
Capital Comments
Capital Comments: Farmland Property Tax Misery Has Company — 27 January 2023
Farmland assessments for property taxes are going up. So are home, rental housing and business assessments. Property tax misery has a lot of...
Capital Comments
Capital Comments: State Revenue Growth Will Return to Normal — 21 December 2022
Thursday, December 15, was a much-anticipated day at the Indiana Statehouse. It was Revenue Forecast Day, when the General Assembly heard the...
Community
A Pledge for the New Year — 14 December 2022
A standard best practice in recruiting members to any community board is to provide them with a written role description to give them a good...
Capital Comments
Capital Comments: Holiday Inflation Cheer — 29 November 2022
The holidays are here. Time for good cheer and happy thoughts, even if candy canes and sugar plums cost 7.8 percent more this year than last.
Community
Giving Thanks to Funders: Tips for Being a Good Steward — 02 November 2022
If you find yourself in the fortunate situation of needing to thank a funder for awarding a grant proposal that you’ve submitted, note that...
Capital Comments
Capital Comments: Cost of Living Adjustments — 25 October 2022
Inflation has been so low for so long that we hardly noticed them. Now inflation is the highest it’s been in 40 years, and COLAs are in the...
Community
Finding Hope. How I Discovered Compassion and Perseverance, Tucked Away in Rolling Hills — 06 October 2022
In 2018, Bo Beaulieu and Alison Davis decided to write a grant to USDA-Rural Development for the new Rural Economic Development Innovation...
Community
Purdue Extension Educators Share Facilitation Skills with Faculty from Andhra University — 03 October 2022
On September 20, Regional Community Development Educators Tanya Hall and Steve Yoder led a daylong workshop on verbal facilitation skills for a...
Capital Comments
Capital Comments: The Housing Market is Cooling Off — 22 September 2022
The Federal Reserve is serious about battling inflation. They’ve raised their policy interest rate from near zero in February to an average...
Community
Three Rookie Mistakes That Can Make or Break Your Grant Proposal — 01 September 2022
The thought of writing a grant proposal can be intimidating for folks who are new to the process. There are multiple steps involved, multiple...
Community
From Networking to Collaboration, From Buy-in to Active Engagement — 01 September 2022
Back in March 2020, we were entering into the unknown. The pandemic was taking hold, and everyone across the globe was trying to determine the...
Capital Comments
Capital Comments: Is this a Recession? — 25 August 2022
Is this a recession? Real gross domestic product has dropped for two straight quarters. Real GDP is our measure of goods and services produced,...
Community
Creating A Digital Ready Business — 10 August 2022
The Purdue Extension Digital Ready program is designed to help small businesses learn to leverage online tools and services to grow their business....
Community
Five Ways to Connect with Grant Makers — 03 August 2022
Most grant applications can now be completed online with little, if any, personal interaction between the grant seeker and the grant funder....
Capital Comments
Capital Comments: $6 Billion in Balances — 21 July 2022
Mid-July is number-cruncher nirvana if you follow the Indiana state budget. That’s when the State Budget Agency releases its closeout for the...
Capital Comments
Inflation and Indiana School District Budgets — 06 July 2022
The inflation rate in May was 8.6 percent, the highest since the bad old days of the Great Inflation 40 years ago. We’re all paying higher...
Capital Comments
Capital Comments: Shocked and Not Shocked by Home Assessments — 15 June 2022
Every year about this time homeowners receive a Form 11 from their county assessor. It’s the notice of assessment of land and structures, and...
Community
NACDEP – Creating Connections at Every Crossroad — 15 June 2022
Creating Connections at Every Crossroad: Purdue Extension Community Development Program Supports the National Association of Community Development...
Capital Comments
Capital Comments: The Residential Share of Property Taxes is on the Rise — 05 May 2022
Here’s one way to think about property taxes: The local government sets its budget, subtracts all other tax revenue, and raises the remainder...
Community
BR&E Next Steps — 05 May 2022
Over the past several months, my column has provided an overview of all five of the Business Retention & Expansion Program (BR&E) modules...
Community
Purdue Pilots Training Sessions for County Extension Boards — 04 May 2022
In April, Purdue Extension began piloting a series of training sessions for county extension boards across Indiana. The goal is to gather feedback...
Community
We All Come From Somewhere – Part 2 — 04 May 2022
Last month, I offered a glimpse into our Purdue Study Abroad trip to Ireland focused on rural development. Our planned activities exceeded our...
Community
Workshops to Improve your Business’ Online Presence and Increase Sales — 04 May 2022
In 2017, Extension Community Development and the Purdue Center for Regional Development (PCRD) sought a way to help Indiana small businesses...
Community
Welcome Andrea! County Extension Educator in Boone County — 02 May 2022
Andrea grew up on a very traditional farm in southern Indiana. They raised corn, soybeans, and wheat, as well as Angus and Hereford cattle. Her...
Community
The Final Report — 08 April 2022
Ribbon cuttings with large gold scissors often celebrate the wins of communities as businesses open. What steps are taken as companies add...
Community
We All Come From Somewhere – Part 1 — 08 April 2022
Last month I had the privilege of co-leading a Study Abroad to the Republic of Ireland with twelve exceptional Purdue undergraduate students. Along...
Community
So, What’s Your Big Idea? Crafting a Solid Project Description for Your Next Grant Proposal — 06 April 2022
If you’ve ever written a community grant proposal, you’ve discovered that most applications have a standard set of sections that you...
Community
Purdue Extension releases Indiana renewable energy survey results — 05 April 2022
Indiana communities are facing complex land-use planning decisions, specifically in regards to renewable energy. To assist communities, Purdue...
Community
Analyze Results — 03 March 2022
Driving across dusty country roads, we often find tattered traffic signs, including old detour signs that invite us to create a new path or stay on...
Community
Goal, Objective, Outcome, or Impact? Understanding the Differences When Drafting a Grant Proposal — 01 March 2022
Most community-related grant applications have a section asking for a description of the changes expected within a community if the proposal were...
Community
An Ode to Humility — 25 February 2022
There was a time when communities, and the people living in them, solved pressing issues using dialogue. Yes, there were moments when dialogue did...
Community
Welcome Jeff! County Extension Educator in Dearborn County — 24 February 2022
Jeff Hermesch is the Agriculture & Natural Resources and Community Development Extension Educator in Dearborn County, Indiana.
Capital Comments
Capital Comments: What Will Happen to Inflation? — 22 February 2022
The inflation rate was 7.5 percent from January 2021 to January 2022, the highest inflation in 40 years. It arrived suddenly and unexpectedly. A...
Community
Gaining Community Support — 13 February 2022
What does it mean to live and belong to a community? By definition, belonging to a community requires an affinity for that community and having the...
Community
Gather Information — 03 February 2022
Knock! Knock! The wrapping of knuckles on the large, dark door frame bellows down the corridor of the distillery. The distillery marks the history...
Community
Comes A Time — 03 February 2022
The answer to this question depends on your circumstances and your point of view. Those who are content with how things are may find little...
Community
Yes, but Is It a Community Need? Frame Your Grant Proposals to Clearly Benefit the Community — 03 February 2022
Whenever I facilitate Purdue Extension’s Guide to Grant Writing workshop, there is usually a participant seeking funding to buy equipment for...
Environment
Garden
Food
Health
Family
Agriculture
Education
Community
CWC Franklin County Collaboration — 02 February 2022
Our CWC, Becky Marvel, has been working collaboratively with the Franklin County Purdue Extension Office as well as the Franklin Co. Library to...
Capital Comments
Capital Comments: Farmland Assessments will Increase for Taxes in 2023 — 28 January 2022
Farmland property taxes have been falling. Total property taxes paid by agricultural property owners fell 2.3 percent per year from 2017 to 2021,...
Community
Purdue Extension Community Development 2022 — 13 January 2022
The New Year represents the opportunity for people to make resolutions and envision what the year might bring. We have dispensed with the...
Community
Information, Discussion, or Decision? Add this column to your agendas for more effective meetings — 11 January 2022
If you are like me, you appreciate meetings where it feels like the group “got something done” by the time it adjourned. On the other...
Community
The American Citizen Planner – Looking Back & Planning Ahead — 11 January 2022
Since its adaptation by a subcommittee of the Purdue Land Use Team in 2019, the ACP-IN Signature Program has completed four successful sessions in...
Capital Comments
Capital Comments: What Happens to Property Taxes During Inflation? — 04 January 2022
The property tax is the biggest source of tax revenue for most Indiana local governments, and they were worried about the effect of the COVID...
Community
Belonging and Making a Difference in a New Year — 15 December 2021
Last month I discussed a personal journey involving lifelong learning and giving thanks. This month, I am looking forward to the New Year by...
Community
Assembling the BR&E Task Force — 06 December 2021
Three-legged stools are important concepts in economic development. Communities need attraction, retention and expansion by their companies so that...
Community
Strengthen your Grant Proposals through Community Collaborations — 30 November 2021
In the world of grant writing, funders often look for ways to get the biggest bang for the buck. In other words, they’re looking to fund...
Podcast
Community
Capital Comments: We Finally Know How the Recession Will Affect Property Taxes — 29 November 2021
What will be the effect of the COVID recession on the property taxes that fund Indiana local governments? I’ve been thinking and writing...
Community
Lifelong Learning and Giving Thanks — 19 November 2021
Cooperative Extension was founded as a resource for lifelong learning for people throughout the United States. To be successful, lifelong learners...
Community
Business Retention and Expansion — 11 November 2021
America is scattered with small companies, and they compose the culture that defines our communities. A business retention and expansion program is...
Community
Welcome Dallas! New County Extension Educator in Marion County — 10 November 2021
Dallas Evans is a native Hoosier and was raised in the small town of Grabill, Indiana. He went on to study at Ball State University and graduated...
Community
Take Time to Celebrate! Don’t Overlook this Motivating Step in Board Development — 08 November 2021
Over the past two months, I’ve had the pleasure of working with a non-profit organization’s board of directors from the Caribbean...
Community
One Water Approach to Water Resources Management (ID-525-W) – Leslie Dorworth, Melissa Widhalm, Kara Salazar — 04 November 2021
Climate change is spotlighting the importance of managing water resources. Building on previous work (ID-524-W, ID-520-W, ID-519-W), in this...
Community
Climate Change and Sustainable Development (ID-524-W) – Melissa Widhalm, Kara Salazar, Leslie Dorworth — 04 November 2021
Energy-intensive development practices contribute to increasing levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, which are leading to shifting climate...
Community
Are you preparing for it? (ID-520-W) – Melissa Widhalm, Kara Salazar, Leslie Dorworth — 04 November 2021
This publication provides an overview of how changing climate conditions will affect Indiana and the Midwest and offers sensible strategies for...
Community
Communication strategies to support local planning (ID-519-W) – Melissa Widhalm, Leslie Dorworth, Kara Salazar — 04 November 2021
Despite strong evidence that climate change is happening, many people do not realize the urgency with which we need to act, nor do they fully...
Community
Food
Health
Family
Environment
Purdue Extension Impact Report- 2020 — 14 October 2021
Fayette County Purdue Extension was featured in the 2020 Extension Annual Report for the hard being done in our community to food resources and...
Community
Community Development Can Help Build Cultural Competence — 07 October 2021
How effective am I at working across cultural differences? Do others see me as culturally competent? One of the key frameworks of the Navigating...
Community
What (and Who) to Believe? — 07 October 2021
As Community Development Extension professionals, we are constantly asked by communities to provide technical assistance and guidance on how to...
Community
Investing in Company Culture — 07 October 2021
When it comes to business success, focusing on survival often trumps focusing on mission and vision. However, research reminds us that...
Community
The Care & Feeding of the Board: The Case for Creating a Governance Committee — 30 September 2021
Many years ago, a mentor of mine, who was helping me develop the structure of a non-profit board, mentioned something that stuck with me. “Of...
Community
Welcome Claire Crum — 29 September 2021
Claire Crum is the new National EDEN Assistant Project Coordinator. She will assist in coordinating a variety of special projects in support of...
Community
Podcast
Capital Comments: What Three Forecasts Say About Our Economic Future — 24 September 2021
Where is our economy going? Let’s ask some folks whose job it is to forecast the future of the U.S. economy. How about looking at three...
Community
This Must Be the Place — 03 September 2021
On the other end of the line is Erin Emerson, Executive Director of the Perry County Development Corporation. Then, the Talking Heads song flows...
Community
The Priority is People — 03 September 2021
Over the course of time, most companies develop and establish a set of priorities – either intentionally or unintentionally – from...
Podcast
Community
Capital Comments: Last Year’s Recession Hits Indiana Local Governments Next Year — 19 August 2021
The National Bureau of Economic Research is our quasi-official umpire of recessions and expansions. Last year it marked the peak of the last...
Community
Extension Webinar Series – Learning about Workforce Development — 05 August 2021
A team of Extension educators invites you to participate in a 4-part series about workforce development. Extension has an active role in this...
Community
Register for the Fall 2021 Cohort: Community Coaching Learning Circle — 29 July 2021
Purdue Extension Community Development is offering a professional development opportunity for individuals interested in honing their community...
Community
Employee Wellness Programs Increase Health & Prosperity — 29 July 2021
Businesses have encouraged employees to take a part in their own health for decades. As society has gradually become more health-conscious,...
Community
All it Takes Is One “Dotty” Idea — 29 July 2021
A few months ago, I was contemplating revolution. Today, I am in a more reflective state of mind. Perhaps it was our family vacation, offering a...
Community
Podcast
Capital Comments: Reasons to Celebrate the Indiana Fiscal New Year — 22 July 2021
Happy belated New Year, everyone! I mean the Indiana Fiscal New Year 2022, which started on July 1. The State Budget Agency celebrates the event...
Community
The Value of Good Facilitation — 14 July 2021
Do you help lead groups to accomplish complex tasks and make participatory decisions? Whether you are leading a visioning process, supporting a...
4-H
Agriculture
July/August 2021 Newsletter — 06 July 2021
Please read the newsletter carefully as it has very important information about the fair and other events that are coming up!
Community
Podcast
Capital Comments: What Kind of Inflation Problem Do We Have? — 24 June 2021
In May the consumer price index was 4.9% higher than it was 12 months before. The last time we saw an inflation rate that high was July 2008. The...
4-H
Community Leadership Program of Cass County 2021 — 14 June 2021
The Community Leadership Program of Cass County 2021 will run from September 1st through February 23rd. The program brochure and application can be...
Community
Go From “Survive” to “Thrive” in 2021 — 02 June 2021
Business owners in 2021 have witnessed many aspects of operations change over the past 24 months. The small business space is always changing, but...
Community
Registration Open! Community Coaching Learning Circle — 02 June 2021
Purdue Extension Community Development is offering a professional development opportunity for individuals interested in honing their community...
Community
But Who’s Watching the Board? — 28 May 2021
Community Boards of Directors are tasked with many responsibilities, from creating a mission statement to raising funds in support of that mission....
Community
Podcast
Capital Comments: A State Revenue Forecast for the Ages — 20 May 2021
On April 15, toward the end of the 2021 session of the Indiana General Assembly, the State Budget Committee heard the revised revenue forecast. It...
Agriculture
4-H
Open Class Handbook 2021 — 14 May 2021
The Open Class Handbook is now available! Please read it carefully to catch up with project changes!
Community
Agriculture
NCRCRD Webinar: Programs, Partnerships, and Pathways: Opportunities for the North Central Region — 14 May 2021
Webinar Video >> Date: April 27 from 2pm-3:30pm (ET) Description: The NCRCRD is introducing new funding and partnership opportunities...
Community
New Member Orientation: A Simple, Effective Way to Improve Board Performance — 05 May 2021
Community Boards of Directors are tasked with many responsibilities, from creating a mission statement to raising funds in support of that mission....
Community
“Save the Date” for Indiana’s Land Use Summit — 05 May 2021
When I speak to community leaders throughout Indiana as part of Purdue Extension’s Community Leadership Program, I will often ask...
Community
Against All Odds: One Business’s Pandemic Survival Story — 04 May 2021
Driven by the work ethic her mother instilled in her, Sherri Bryant established Team Bryant six years ago when she moved to Indianapolis. She...
Community
You Say You Want a Revolution? — 04 May 2021
I must be getting old. My mind seems to receive input and then I immediately associate that input with a song which – more often than not...
Agriculture
4-H
May-June Newsletter — 30 April 2021
Attached is the May-June Newsletter. Please make sure to read ALL of the newsletter to stay up to date with very important information about...
Community
Podcast
Family
Capital Comments: Pent-Up Demand, Then and Now — 23 April 2021
What can history teach us about the demand for goods and services post-pandemic? Larry Deboer knows.
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
Students help design recovery center — 06 April 2021
A rendering in the office of Erin Belgarde, Strategic Planning Coordinator for the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians (TMBCI) in Rolette...
Community
Running on Empty — 02 April 2021
Community
The Project for Public Spaces — 01 April 2021
As we begin to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, how do we re-engage community through inclusive public spaces? The Project for Public Spaces has...
Community
Rural Indiana Stats Website — 01 April 2021
When you’re looking to make data-driven decisions for local government financing, don’t overlook a great tool from the Purdue Center...
Community
Remote Work Certification — 01 April 2021
Before the pandemic, a digital media company in Denver with 100 employees, was embarking on an expansion to double its size. On March 11, 2020,...
Community
Consider the Consent Agenda for More Productive Board Meetings — 31 March 2021
These participants from Purdue Extension’s Community Leadership Program were talking about their experiences using—and learning...
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
A comprehensive approach to community development — 30 March 2021
In 2018, a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation study on county health rankings reported that Fayette County ranked 92nd — the least healthy county...
EXTENSION
Building over time — 25 March 2021
Erin Emerson, Executive Director of the Perry County Development Corporation, knows community change doesn’t happen overnight. But with...
Community
Podcast
Capital Comments: It's Tax Season. Where Do Your Local Taxes Go? — 19 March 2021
Tax season is coming up. Federal income taxes are due on May 17th this year. The due date for Indiana’s state and local income taxes remains...
Agriculture
Environment
Actively managing natural resources — 18 March 2021
Conservation through Community Leadership is bringing different interest groups together to plan the future of Cedar Creek, which flows 31.9 miles...
Agriculture
4-H
Fast Start Program — 15 March 2021
Attention ALL High School Students - Did you know Purdue wants to help you become a Boilermaker?! Giving Indiana students another pathway to...
Community
The Future is Female — 04 March 2021
I was looking back at my blog post from August 2020 where I was reflecting on my first year as Assistant Director and Program Leader. In...
Community
Visit the Intercultural Learning Hub — 04 March 2021
The Intercultural Learning Hub (HubICL), powered by HUBzero® [1], is an online collaborative space for researchers, educators, and...
Community
Switch It Up! Doing the Pandemic Pivot by Exploring New Resources — 03 March 2021
The Pandemic has required instrumental and pivotal business adjustments in the economic landscape of companies. Traditional norms have been...
Community
Recruit, Engage, Renew, Repeat: Embracing the Board Development Cycle — 01 March 2021
I can’t resist a good presentation graphic. Whenever I find an illustration that nicely captures a thought, theme, or theory, I’m all...
Community
Welcome Katje! New CD Educator joins Tippecanoe County Purdue Extension — 01 March 2021
Katje Armentrout grew up in a small, rural community in Michigan’s Lower Peninsula – right in the middle of the mitt! She attended...
Podcast
Community
Capital Comments: Okun, Phillips and Our Economy — 01 March 2021
If you want to be remembered in economics, get yourself a curve. There’s the Lorenz curve, the Laffer curve, the Kuznets curve, and, probably...
Agriculture
4-H
2021 Handbook — 26 February 2021
Attached is the 2021 Handbook. Please use it to reference for project guidelines and livestock requirements.
EXTENSION
Navigating grant proposals — 23 February 2021
Securing a financial grant can boost community initiatives that will launch a new program or build upon an existing one. The Purdue Extension...
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
Connecting across diversity — 18 February 2021
“How do we expand our community’s leadership base?” “How do we get the next generation involved?” “When new...
EXTENSION
Purdue Extension: Training Community Leaders — 15 February 2021
Community development is just one area where Purdue Extension provides research-based education in all 92 Indiana counties. As a signature program...
Community
Get A C.L.U.E.! — 05 February 2021
You may have noticed a trend if you have been reading my blog in the Purdue Extension Community Development Newsletter, I spend a lot of time...
Community
Unleashing the Power of the Introverts in the Room — 04 February 2021
Anywhere from 30-50% of you reading this column may often identify with this situation: You are driving home from a community board or committee...
Community
Happy Retirement! We will miss you! — 04 February 2021
He is well-known in the Indianapolis area as the “guru” of urban community development and leadership training. He is passionate about...
Community
Business Retention and Expansion — 02 February 2021
COVID-era technology allows workers to accept positions virtually anywhere, and anywhere virtually. For that reason, individuals can choose...
Community
Time for Some Accounting — 08 January 2021
The end of one year and the beginning of a new one inevitably results in two things: top ten lists that retrospectively examine the “best...
Community
American Citizen Planner Opens Spring 2021 Registration — 08 January 2021
Purdue Extension and Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant will open registration for American Citizen Planner – Indiana, an online training course for...
Community
Polishing Your Proposals: Insider Tips from the Beginner’s Guide to Grant Writing Program — 08 January 2021
As an instructor for the Beginner’s Guide to Grant Writing program, one of my favorite things to do is ask participants to share a memorable...
Community
A Legacy of Leadership — 08 January 2021
As I write this brief column, I do so with some sadness since I will be officially retiring from Purdue on Feb. 1, 2021. When I came to Purdue in...
Community
How Emotionally Intelligent Are You? — 08 January 2021
As you reflect on 2020 and embark on 2021, consider how you relate to others. How often have you judged an experience or a situation only to arrive...
Community
Welcome Kayla Wright – Marion County Educator — 06 January 2021
Kayla hails originally from Ft. Wayne, Ind. Her first official day (Monday, Dec. 7) as a Community Development Extension Educator happened to fall...
Community
Podcast
Capital Comments: The State Revenue Forecast: We Might be OK — 06 January 2021
Can it be, is it possible, that 2021 won’t be terrible? The state revenue forecast was released on December 16 to provide a starting point...
Community
Poised to Pivot — 10 December 2020
Regardless of what industry you are in, the prevailing question now is: How can your company survive the COVID-19 “new normal” we are...
Community
Congratulations, Michael! — 10 December 2020
For the December 2020 edition, we have hijacked Michael’s column to bring you some great news! Dr. Wilcox, Purdue Extension’s Assistant...
Community
Recruitment Strategies for Building Stronger Boards — 10 December 2020
Purdue Extension recently surveyed over 350 board, council, and committee members throughout the state to better respond to their training needs....
Community
Podcast
Capital Comments: A Tale of Two Recessions — 09 December 2020
The Great Recession began after the economy peaked in December 2007, and then continued for 18 months through June 2009. It was the longest...
Community
Hybrid Engagement — 12 November 2020
In October, Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant kicked off a multi-meeting series focused on creating an action plan that will guide the future of the Cedar...
Community
Everything Counts… — 12 November 2020
Community
Let’s Shake it Up! — 11 November 2020
We have always heard that change is good and change brings about new ideas. What happens when an event, business or community fail to change? When...
Community
Indiana Space Trees — 11 November 2020
Sycamore and Tulip Poplar tree seeds orbited the Earth on the U.S. space shuttle Atlantis STS more than 30 years ago, from December 2-6, 1988, as...
Community
Purdue Launches Small Business Connections through EIRPC — 11 November 2020
Purdue Center for Regional Development (PCRD) and Purdue Extension – Community Development (CDEXT) want to help small businesses shift toward...
Community
Diversity = Prosperity — 01 October 2020
Fall is my favorite season. Crisp air, falling leaves, harvest, and holidays. Time for family and friends. Here on campus, fall is a time for...
Podcast
Community
Capital Comments: Don’t get spun: What’s happening in our economy, right now? — 29 September 2020
Forecasts? Don’t talk about forecasts. You kidding me? I just want to know what’s happening now!
Community
Q4 2020 Trends — 22 September 2020
In the midst of the pandemic, economic environments have shifted significantly. Competitiveness has increased tenfold, businesses are examining how...
Community
Tipping Point Planner Online Course — 22 September 2020
The new online Tipping Point Planner course teaches almost anyone involved in land use planning or water quality issues how to use the tool to...
EXTENSION
Purdue Extension: Growing communities one garden at a time — 11 September 2020
Located within an Indianapolis food desert, 25 volunteers gathered on a hot July day to build six raised garden beds and plant cool-season...
Community
Drum Roll Please… — 03 September 2020
During the last six months, many individuals, organizations, and institutions have been stretched to their limits in terms of leadership,...
Community
Shifting Tides — 02 September 2020
History has a way of repeating itself. Within the world of fashion, mullets have reappeared in adolescents. Men are wearing shorter, tighter shorts...
Podcast
Community
Capital Comments: Rents, Telecommuting and Harry Potter — 02 September 2020
The wizards in Harry Potter’s Britain use many forms of transportation. Brooms, but also floo powder, portkeys, flying vehicles, the Night...
Community
Register for EDEN’s Annual Meeting — 02 September 2020
This year has given all community development educators a reason to tune into the expertise of the Extension Disaster Education Network (EDEN)....
Community
Latino Health Needs & Workforce Assessment Begins in Clinton County — 02 September 2020
A Latino Health Needs & Workforce Assessment study has launched in Clinton County as a collaboration between the Indiana Minority Health...
Community
Blackford County Receives Two Rounds of Funding for Local Business COVID-19 Support — 02 September 2020
On April 30, when Lt. Governor Crouch announced that 61 communities had received COVID-19 response funds, Blackford County was among them because...
Community
Fall 2020 Registration for American Citizen Planner Now Open — 05 August 2020
Purdue Extension and Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant have opened enrollment in American Citizen Planner – Indiana, an online training course for...
Community
Developing Employee Engagement through Leadership — 04 August 2020
Since the COVID-19 crisis began, companies and communities have been running extremely lean on virtually every front, especially in the human...
Community
A Year Ago… — 04 August 2020
A year ago, when I started my new role as assistant director and program leader with Purdue Extension, I was focused on helping our team continue...
Community
A Graphic Reflection Tool — 04 August 2020
As any great leader knows, in order to lead effectively you must first meet people where they are. Every person’s experiences are different,...
Podcast
Community
Capital Comments: Trouble for Indiana’s State Budget — 04 August 2020
Revenues fell 8 percent below forecast for the year, 23 percent from March through June. We used $850 million in balances to cover that shortfall,...
Community
Spotlight on Grant-Writing Success — 04 August 2020
Let Us Learn, Inc. (LUL) was a brand-new 501(c)3 nonprofit at the beginning of 2017. We received our nonprofit status in December of 2016, and we...
Community
Small Business Resources to Support Economic Retention and Recovery — 15 April 2020
This article contains a list of resources for Indiana small businesses to support economic retention and recovery related to the COVID-19...
Community
Promoting Resilience by Diminishing Isolation — 02 April 2020
The COVID-19 pandemic has created a global public health and economic crisis. Whether it is on the news, through your social media networks or...
Community
Local Leaders Explore Property Tax System in Purdue Extension Workshop — 01 April 2020
Purdue Extension provided a free workshop for local leaders to learn about Indiana’s property tax system and explore trends in local and...
Community
Are We In This Together? — 05 March 2020
As our store shelves are being rapidly emptied of food, hand sanitizer, medicines, masks and other ‘essentials,’ I have been thinking...
Community
Childcare: An Economic Development Strategy — 13 February 2020
Imagine you are a single mom with three kids, ages 2, 5 and 8. You have a “normal” job working 8-5 p.m. with a slightly flexible...
Community
Local Government Leadership Workshop Explains Election Process Requirements — 03 February 2020
Lake County Extension collaborated with the Lake County Clerk’s office and the Board of Elections & Registration to present the...
Community
To Do or Not To Do, That is the Question… — 03 February 2020
It is a commonly held notion that many smaller communities have ten people that do everything. They serve on committees and boards, and they plan...
Community
Is It Better to Give Than Receive? — 09 January 2020
For me, the recent holiday season put an old adage to the test, is it better to give than to receive? Like most parents of pre-teen and teenage...
Community
Purdue Extension Land Use Team Launches American Citizen Planner Program in Indiana — 07 January 2020
The American Citizen Planner program, which provides training in core competencies for public planning officials, is now being offered in Indiana...
Community
Tracking 21st Century Diversity in Indiana Counties — 11 December 2019
As globalization continues to chug along and the digital age continues to take hold, communities in Indiana need to adapt in order to remain...
Community
Reaping the Benefits of Impactful Work — 07 December 2019
November is the month that our neighbors and friends engaged in row crop agriculture are usually finishing their harvest. In a similar fashion, our...
Community
Increase Your Business’s Online Presence by Downloading Our New App — 05 December 2019
Purdue Extension Community Development (CD) and the Purdue Center for Regional Development (PCRD) is ecstatic to announce the release of our...
Community
Catalyzing Community Capacity — 04 December 2019
This is the season when many of us commune together as colleagues at work and family members at home. In the best of circumstances, we trade...
Community
Skillful Indiana: Governor’s Coaching Corps — 03 December 2019
Workforce development – a commonly tossed around buzz word – but what exactly is it and what does it look like here in Indiana? For...
Community
Year-End Reflections and Plans for the New Year — 03 December 2019
As 2019 comes to a close, the Extension Community Development team wishes you a new year filled with health, happiness and spectacular success....
Community
Getting Down to Business About the Digital Ready Businesses Program — 04 November 2019
Earlier this year, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Technology Engagement Center published a report commissioned by Amazon looking at the digital...
Community
Fostering Economic Stability – Communities Working Together to Drive Progress — 04 November 2019
So often my travels leave me weaving alongside desolate country roads that are sparsely populated and towns that are blighted with empty, dusty...
Community
Purdue Extension Community Development Responds to Needs in Your Community — 03 October 2019
Purdue Extension has offices in all ninety-two counties in Indiana. Through these offices, our educators are able to spend their workdays (and live...
Community
Running for Local Office Seminar Gets Future Local Candidates Ready to Campaign — 01 October 2019
On September 24, 2019, Purdue Extension Community Development educator, Amanda Galloway, and Tippecanoe County Clerk, Julie Roush, presented to...
Community
Change is the Only Constant in Life — 05 September 2019
We have all heard the old saying, “Change is the only constant in life.” Spoken 2,500 years ago in Greek as “Panta Rhei...
Community
Extension Invests in Preparing the Next Generation of Community Leaders — 04 September 2019
In the last ten years, Indianapolis has embarked on a positive economic path with initiatives such as the “quality of life” plans,...
Community
This September: Be Prepared, Not Scared — 03 September 2019
This September is National Preparedness Month (NPM). The Extension Disaster Education Network (EDEN) has committed to participate in NPM to...
Community
A Note From the Program Leader — 07 August 2019
This is my first full week serving as the Assistant Director and Program Leader for Community Development with Purdue Extension. I am excited about...
Community
Water Resources Management — 05 August 2019
FEMA defines localized flooding as “smaller scale flooding that can occur anywhere in a community.” Localized flooding is most common...
Community
Forestry and Natural Resources — 05 August 2019
Urban forestry is a program that invests in the future of the community. Your final plan should consider the biological, management and community...
Community
Planning for Agritourism – A Guide for Local Governments and Indiana Farmers — 05 August 2019
Agritourism as a business model is growing in popularity as Indiana farmers recognize a need to diversify operations and supplement farm incomes....
Community
Food and Agriculture — 05 August 2019
More than 60% of Indiana’s land is devoted to agriculture production via 56,800 farms and 14.7 million acres. Today, most farms are not...
Community
Built Environment and Natural Resources — 05 August 2019
This section focuses on how a comprehensive plan can be used to provide opportunities for active living through deliberate planning policies and...
Community
Economic Development Policy Tools For Local Government Land Use Planning — 05 August 2019
This section provides an introduction to basic concepts of economic development and how they are related to land use planning. These include...
Community
Introduction and Overview — 05 August 2019
Purdue Extension and the Indiana Land Resources Council collaboratively developed this guidance document to support plan commission members as well...
Community
Promoting Shared Prosperity and Improved Economic Outcomes in Indianapolis — 08 July 2019
Inclusive growth and the future of work were recent topics at the Community & Economics Leadership Program (CELP), led by George Okantey,...
Community
Effective Business Meetings – Reducing the Stress and Increasing Productivity — 05 June 2019
Raise your hand if you have attended any business meeting that you roll your eyes and think that the meeting is too long? So often, the agenda and...
Community
Group Works on Downtown Enhancement — 30 May 2019
Three different areas of emphasis are being developed into a comprehensive plan to help make central Connersville a place where healthier choices...
Community
The Key to Being More Productive? Try Slowing Down — 10 May 2019
In a world where we are constantly asked to have more things completed, assigned more tasks and given more responsibilities, it seems there is a...
Community
Learning Essential Skills to Engage Difficult Conversation — 06 March 2019
Conversations move life forward. They can also stop things from moving forward. Relationships begin and end on conversations. Teams are formed and...
Community
USDA Public-Private Partnership Accepting Technical Assistance Applications for Rural Capacity Building — 12 February 2019
WASHINGTON, Feb. 11, 2019 – Assistant to the Secretary for Rural Development Anne Hazlett today announced that USDA and four of its partners...
Community
Cumberland HCI Team Launches Arts and Spaces Task Force — 06 February 2019
The Town of Cumberland, Indiana, has launched a new civic organization dedicated to engaging the public through art and improving the aesthetics of...
Community
Community Development Educator Honored — 05 February 2019
George Okantey, Purdue Extension Community Development educator in Marion County, was recently named a recipient of the Robert O. Zdenek Staff...
Community
Reflections on the Past Year and What Lies Ahead — 13 December 2018
As 2018 comes to a close, the Extension Community Development team wishes you a new year filled with health, happiness and spectacular success....
Community
Tis the Season — 12 December 2018
Decorating for the holidays is a long-standing tradition that for many include having a Christmas tree decorated in your home. Unfortunately, some...
Community
La Fecha Límite Para Participar en una Encuesta en Línea Sobre Iniciativas Favorables Para Adultos Mayores se Acerca Para Residentes de Indianapolis y Fort Wayne — 05 December 2018
La Fecha Límite Para Participar en una Encuesta en Línea Sobre Iniciativas Favorables Para Adultos Mayores se Acerca Para Residentes de...
Community
Beekeeping A-Z Class — 24 October 2018
In March of 2015, Purdue Extension Floyd County started offering beginning beekeeping classes. These first classes were met with much enthusiasm!...
Community
CELP Graduates Making Local and National Impacts — 23 October 2018
Three graduates of the Community Economics and Leadership Program (CELP) recently utilized the education they received through the four-month...
Community
Leadership Daviess County Class of 2018 — 23 October 2018
Community projects are a component of many of the Purdue Extension Community Leadership Programs across the state. The Leadership Daviess County...
Community
With Social Media, Markets are Reaching Much Farther — 23 October 2018
In the scope of society, we have multiple branches of communication. The facets we see depend on our generation, tastes and preferences and where...
Community
Disasters Happen. Prepare Now. Learn How. — 24 September 2018
This September is National Preparedness Month (NPM). The Extension Disaster Education Network (EDEN) has committed to participate in NPM as a way...
Community
The Comprehensive Plan (ID-234-W) – Indraneel Kumar, Val Slack — 12 September 2018
A community needs a comprehensive plan to serve as the compass for its future course. However, the ability and will to prepare and implement the...
Community
A Look at Confined Feeding Operations in Indiana — 30 August 2018
Confined Feeding Operations (CFOs) offer an efficient system to feed and house animals through specialization, increased facility size and close...
Community
Community Development Achievement Award Presented to Lionel “Bo” Beaulieu — 06 August 2018
The Community Development Achievement Award is presented to a Community Development Society (CDS) member in recognition of his or her outstanding...
Community
Community Economics and Leadership Program (CELP) Graduates Receive Congressional Recognition — 25 July 2018
Nineteen middle managers and millennials from four community organizations, four city government agencies and three nonprofit agencies recently...
Community
Generational titles — why do we even need them? — 25 July 2018
Educate, validate, and elevate our employees so they can be the best version of themselves, help them in this regard to identify opportunities for...
Community
Purdue Initiative for Family Firms Helps Build Stronger Family Businesses — 20 July 2018
Family firms comprise 80-90% of all business enterprises and range from mom-and-pop stores to corporate giants. Family businesses are an important...
Community
Winners Named for National Association of Community Development Extension Professionals Awards — 28 June 2018
Purdue Extension’s Beginner’s Guide to Grant Writing was recently recognized as a national award winner by the National Association of...
Community
The Often Overlooked Economic Development Strategy: Business Retention and Expansion — 27 June 2018
Former professor Dr. David Birch of MIT found that up to 80% of job growth in any community is generated by the businesses already located there...
Community
Attitudes Influence Change — 27 June 2018
How do communities change? The answer is quite easy. Change is implemented through attitude. Although the answer is easy, getting to that answer is...
Community
Internet Sales Tax — 26 June 2018
Last week, the Supreme Court ruled internet retailers can be required to collect sales taxes, even in areas where they have no physical presence....
Community
Huntington County Leadership Academy Graduates Class of 2018 — 26 June 2018
Huntington County Leadership Academy congratulates 17 graduates from the 2018 Purdue Extension Community Leadership class. The group has been...
Community
New Curriculum Joins Public Spaces and Healthy Communities Programs — 24 May 2018
We were in southern Indiana a few weeks ago in a county that is, at first glance, not for want of green space. In fact, natural spaces abound.
Community
Leadership Jasper County Graduates Class of 2017-18 — 24 May 2018
Leadership Jasper County graduated the 2017-18 class this week. The Community Leadership Program works to create a network of willing,...
Community
A Planning & Zoning Glossary (ID-228-W) – Indraneel Kumar — 24 May 2018
Confused about plans, districts, zones, codes, and more? Knowing and using a common vocabulary of planning and zoning terms will help you...
Community
Welcome to the Plan Commission or Board of Zoning Appeals (ID-511-W) – Jeff Burbrink — 24 May 2018
Are you new to the local Plan Commission or the Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA)? This article give an introduction to plan commissions and BZAs, the...
Community
Assessing Your Comprehensive Plan (ID-227-W) – Dan Walker — 24 May 2018
A comprehensive plan helps communities identify their shared goals and guides development policies that allow the community to reach those goals....
Community
Assistant Program Leader Presents to Community Economics and Leadership Program (CELP) Participants — 22 May 2018
Michael Wilcox, Assistant Program Leader for Purdue Extension Community Development, was the May 10 guest speaker for the Community Economics and...
Community
Reaching Successful Economic Development in the Community — 22 May 2018
The building goes dark, the manager locks the door for the last time, brown paper cascades down windows that once held signs of sales and...
Community
Understanding Indiana’s Local Tax Systems — 25 April 2018
Local government finance is complex and has become even more so since the implementation of the property tax caps in 2008. In 2016, taxpayers...
Community
Leadership Vigo County Graduates a Network of Residents Committed to Serve and Lead — 24 April 2018
Congratulations to the 2018 class of Leadership Vigo County, a program provided by Purdue Extension Vigo County, who graduated last month! The...
Community
New Beginner’s Guide to Grant Writing Reaps Rewards for Indiana Communities — 27 March 2018
Competitive grant proposals are an increasing key revenue source for nonprofits, educational institutions and local governments. One indicator of...
Community
Angola HCI Community Forum Draws Large Crowd — 22 March 2018
How do you get nearly 100 local residents to participate in your community forum? Through working hard on marketing, Hometown Collaboration...
Community
Effective Leadership – Where Did It Go? — 20 February 2018
‘Leader’ is defined as a person to guide a way by going in advance. Leadership is an important function of management, which helps to...
Community
You Can Say “No” in Business — 24 October 2017
Whether you are an entrepreneur, want to be one or not, we have all had those days of splitting headaches, not enough hours in the day and when the...
Community
How Co-Working Spaces and Incubators Differ — 27 September 2017
Recently I had the opportunity to join in on an Office of Community and Rural Affairs (OCRA) Listening Session in Sullivan. The information shared...
Community
Wired Publication Quotes Roberto Gallardo — 30 August 2017
Wired’s article, “Redefining ‘Broadband’ Could Slow Rollout In Rural Areas’, utilized remarks from our own Roberto...
Community
New Communities in Defense Manufacturing Assistance Program — 30 August 2017
For the next 10 months, the Purdue Center for Regional Development (PCRD) will be serving four new communities through its Defense Manufacturing...
Community
Gallardo’s Broadband Study Cited — 22 August 2017
In a globally connected world, access to the internet can link people to a variety of resources that can be of value in their daily living, such as...
Community
Facilitative Leadership Used to Create Comprehensive Strategy for Food Access in Indianapolis — 26 July 2017
On June 3, the City of Indianapolis, Indy Food Council, Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), and Purdue Extension-Marion County hosted the...
Community
Bubbling Up Your Business On The Internet — 27 June 2017
Growth in business is a challenge for many companies and realizing constraints is the first step in the process. For many business owners, the...
Community
Purdue and USDA RD Join Forces to Implement National Regional Economic Development Program — 02 June 2017
The Indiana Office of USDA Rural Development (RD) announced the designation of the Southern Indiana Development Commission (SIDC) as a Stronger...
Community
Community Rolls Out Small Business and Entrepreneurial Website — 25 May 2017
That’s the message that Rushville and Rush County are championing with the launching of the community’s own entrepreneurial website....
Community
Cultivating Diversity and Differences — 23 May 2017
Hiring employees from various backgrounds, cultures and experiences leads to workplace diversity. The vast majority of employers view diversity as...
Community
Turning Bad Meetings Into Great Ones Takes Leadership — 23 May 2017
No one likes to sit through a bad meeting. Many of us can point to things we don’t like about the meetings we attend that are not productive:
Community
HCI Local Food Summit Held in City of Auburn — 18 May 2017
On a beautiful May day, more than 100 people gathered at the DeKalb County Fairgrounds to learn, network and share about the local food system for...
Community
Generation 5 Communities Accepted Into Hometown Collaboration Initiative — 05 May 2017
The Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs (OCRA) announced on May 4, 2017 that the Towns of Albion and Cumberland, Cities of Angola and...
Community
Business Communication Techniques — 21 April 2017
Main Street corridors and county lines no longer bound society. The geographic boundaries of business expand nationally and globally for many small...
Community
HCI Local Food Summit Held in Spencer County — 14 April 2017
More than 58 people gathered at the Spencer County Extension office on March 22, 2017 to learn and discuss issues for their local food system. As...
Community
Book Club: A Good Tax, Chapter 4 — 13 April 2017
This post is a part of our Local Government book club series. Join us in reading A Good Tax: Legal and Policy Issues for the Property Tax in the...
Community
Purdue Program Helps Expand Jobs for Small Indiana Firms — 12 April 2017
Small businesses are the primary driver of job growth in Indiana. In fact, existing second stage businesses generated 36% of all new jobs in...
Community
Five Communities Selected as Semi-Finalists for Generation 5 of the Hometown Collaboration Initiative — 06 April 2017
The Indiana Office of Community & Rural Affairs (OCRA) announced on April 6, 2017 that the semi-finalists for Generation 5 of the Hometown...
Community
USDA Rural Development Finds “High Quality” in Economic Development Plan — 04 April 2017
INDIANAPOLIS, March 15, 2017 – The Eastern Indiana Regional Planning Commission (EIRPC) has achieved the “High Quality Plan”...
Community
It’s Time to Embrace Small Businesses — 30 March 2017
Did you know that half of all businesses in Indiana are small businesses? These companies are the economic drivers of the local economy. Typically,...
Community
Book Club Review: A Good Tax, Chapter 3 — 20 March 2017
This post is a part of our Local Government book club series. Join us in reading A Good Tax: Legal and Policy Issues for the Property Tax in the...
Community
Southwestern Indiana Master Gardeners & Strategic Planning — 06 March 2017
The Southwestern Indiana Master Gardeners Association (SWIMGA) continues to pioneer efforts on strategic planning for their organization. A group...
Community
Community Development Regional Educators Facilitate Visioning Forum — 03 March 2017
Nearly 50 Southwestern Indiana Master Gardeners Association (SWIMGA) members attended a Visioning Forum on February 4, 2017. Community Development...
Community
Book Club Review: A Good Tax, Chapter 2 — 02 March 2017
This post is a part of our Local Government book club series. Join us in reading A Good Tax: Legal and Policy Issues for the Property Tax in the...
Community
Book Club Review: A Good Tax, Chapter 1 — 17 February 2017
This post is a part of our Local Government book club series. Join us in reading A Good Tax: Legal and Policy Issues for the Property Tax in the...
Community
Stronger Economies Together (SET) Accepting Indiana Applications — 09 February 2017
USDA Rural Development Acting Indiana State Director Alan Krapf has announced Indiana has been approved to deliver Phase VII of the Stronger...
Community
Indiana Hometown Collaboration Initiative Now Accepting Applications — 09 February 2017
The Hometown Collaboration Initiative, an Initiative of the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs (OCRA), is accepting applications from...
Community
Nonprofit Session Gives Community Leaders Insight into Serving on Local Boards — 06 February 2017
Purdue Extension’s Community Leadership Program offers participants the opportunity to make a difference in their home towns by equipping...
Community
Picking Perry County: A Hometown Collaboration Initiative Success Story — 02 February 2017
Tell City, Indiana, in Perry County sits by the Ohio River, 179 miles away from Indianapolis. However, after a project with the Hometown...
Community
Indiana Hometown Collaboration Initiative Accepting Applications — 02 February 2017
The Hometown Collaboration Initiative, an Initiative of the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs (OCRA) is accepting applications from...
Community
Join us in our New Year’s Resolution — 30 January 2017
The Purdue Extension Local Government group has made a New Year’s Resolution to read A Good Tax: Legal and Policy Issues for the Property Tax...
Community
Grant Writing Demystified: What You Need to Know About this High-Stakes Game — 27 January 2017
For ten years, I have been teaching grant writing workshops in Indiana. In that time, I have met very few people who actually set out to become...
Community
Six North Central Indiana Counties Create Regional Economic Plan — 26 January 2017
Economic leaders drawn from a six-county region will be crafting a plan designed to build on the region’s economic strengths and serve as the...
Community
Purdue Extension’s Conservation Through Community Leadership Program – Accepting Community Applications — 23 January 2017
Purdue Extension’s new Conservation through Community Leadership (CCL) program is now accepting applications for the inaugural community...
Community
Bremen Indiana and Crawford County Accepted into Hometown Collaboration Initiative — 20 January 2017
Indiana Lieutenant Governor Suzanne Crouch and the Indiana Office of Community Affairs (OCRA) announced on January 18, 2017 that the Town of...
Community
Local Workshop Broaches Topics of Diversity — 19 January 2017
Members of the community came together on the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. holiday to discuss diversity at the “Navigating Differences”...
Community
Initiative Helps Small Businesses Succeed — 10 January 2017
A Purdue program for small businesses was recently featured on WLFI News. The Purdue Initiative for Family Firms (PIFF) provides multi-generational...
Community
WLFI News Features Logansport’s HCI Activities — 06 December 2016
The story highlighted a key goal of the local HCI team, which is to share the story of the community’s rich history and local assets. The...
Community
Economic Development – Placed Based Assets — 09 November 2016
More and more communities are beginning to recognize the need for place based asset strategies when it comes to economic development.
Community
Educator Guides Positive New Steps for Bartholomew County Parks — 26 October 2016
An Enhancing the Value of Public Spaces Workshop was held last week with Bartholomew County’s Anderson Falls Park as the focus. Although it...
Community
Leadership Vigo County Launch — 26 September 2016
Leadership Vigo County launched its inaugural class with 10 participants on August 25 at the West Vigo Library. The sessions are all hosted by...
Community
USDA Rural Development, Purdue University Expand Program to Assist Regional Economic Development — 25 July 2016
USDA Rural Development (RD) State Director Philip G. Lehmkuhler today announced the designation of a new North Central Indiana region for the next...
Community
Bo Beaulieu receives the NACDEP National Distinguished Career Award — 14 July 2016
It’s my honor to inform you of yet another prestigious honor earned by Bo Beaulieu, Assistant Director of Purdue Extension and Community...
Community
In Rebuilding Economy and Population, Small Towns Wonder: What Comes First? — 19 June 2016
Small towns across Indiana are trying modernize their economies and hold onto younger residents. But where do they start? With jobs? Quality of...
Community
Podcast
Latest Capital Comments Looks at School Referenda Results — 31 May 2016
Journalists, school officials and local government enthusiasts joined Purdue Extension’s Larry DeBoer and Tamara Ogle (@INTaxRockstars) on...
Community
Business Retention & Expansion Program Piloted in Parke County — 28 May 2016
In January 2015, Purdue’s Community Development Educators were trained by Ohio State University to implement their comprehensive,...
Community
Leadership Jasper County Class of 2016 — 26 May 2016
The first Leadership Jasper County class graduated recently. Sixteen individuals representing a wide variety of careers and all parts of the county...
Community
Indiana Hometown Collaboration Initiative Now Accepting Applications — 24 May 2016
The Hometown Collaboration Initiative (HCI), an initiative of the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs (OCRA), is accepting applications...
Community
Leadership Clinton County Class of 2016 — 20 May 2016
Congratulations to the 15 graduates of Leadership Clinton County 2016 on completing 44 hours of training in conflict management, navigating...
Community
How to Read Your Property Tax Bill — 01 May 2016
Property taxes in Indiana are paid in two installments, due May 10 and November 10 of each year. We are fast approaching the due date for the...
Community
West Lafayette Parks Survey Results Are In — 29 April 2016
The department conducted the survey earlier this year. It asked questions about individual opinions on services, programs and facilities provided...
Community
Community Leaders in Southwest Indiana Learn More about Indiana’s Property Tax System — 15 April 2016
Local governments have faced many fiscal challenges in the past several years, from the Great Recession to property tax cap losses, creating a...
Community
Stay Connected with the Purdue Extension Community Development Program — 25 March 2016
The Purdue Extension Community Development Program now has a Facebook and Twitter page! If you’re interested in getting better connected with...
Community
Leadership Vermillion County Graduates Inaugural Class — 10 March 2016
The sun was shining as The Beef House banquet room filled with sponsors, committee members and participants of Leadership Vermillion County. Twelve...
Community
Purdue Extension Community Development Program Ready to “Build a Path to Resiliency” — 26 February 2016
The National Association of Community Development Professionals (NACDEP) and the Association of Natural Resource Extension Professionals (ANREP)...
Community
Seymour to Host Local Food Summit — 12 February 2016
Seymour’s HCI Coordinating Team is heavily engaged with Vision 2025 in planning and launching their Local Food Summit that will take...
Community
Purdue Extension Aids Frankfort in Downtown Revitalization Study Grant — 22 January 2016
The award of a federally-funded $40,000 planning grant will allow city officials to develop a Downtown Revitalization Study to address ways to...
Community
Women’s Voices in Fayette County Convenes First Meeting — 22 January 2016
Women’s Voices…some would argue that they are seldom heard – especially in the context of community and economic development. For...
Community
Corydon HCI Capstone Project Underway — 22 January 2016
In 2015, the Corydon HCI committee had many great accomplishments, ranging from strong engagement from the community to strengthened relationships...
Community
Valparaiso Chamber Leadership Academy — 11 December 2015
The Valparaiso Chamber Leadership Academy graduated its 10th class, strengthening its collaboration with Purdue Extension. Sixteen participants...
Community
HCI Finalists Announced — 04 December 2015
On December 4, 2015, Lieutenant Governor Sue Ellspermann sent an electronic video to congratulate four newly designated finalists for the HCI. The...
Community
Office of Community and Rural Affairs Recognized by Purdue Extension — 30 October 2015
OCRA has funded a $100,000 socioeconomic and fiscal study of rural Indiana undertaken by Extension and the Purdue Center for Regional Development...
Community
Cindy Barber Wins Two Awards! — 30 October 2015
Daviess County Purdue Community Development Extension Educator Cindy Barber was the recipient of two awards last week in honor of her community...
Community
SET Program Given Partnership Award by NIFA — 30 October 2015
The national Stronger Economies Together program (SET) has earned a National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) Partnership Award for...
Community
Leadership Vermillion County Kicks Off — 11 September 2015
The kickoff for Leadership Vermillion County was held on Wednesday, September 9 at the Clinton Elanco Laboratories. Participants were treated to...
Community
Purdue University Plays Key Role in Stronger Economies Together Program — 11 September 2015
A team of Purdue University community and regional development professionals will play a key role in advancing the efforts of two groups of Indiana...
Community
Wilcox Recipient of Major Award — 12 June 2015
I know that many of you were made aware by Jason Henderson of the important award our CD colleague Michael Wilcox received from the National...
Community
Enhancing the Value of Public Spaces Annual Meeting in Frankfort, Indiana — 25 May 2015
“Imagining what Downtown Frankfort will look like in 10 years” was the whole point of the Enhancing the Value of Downtown Public Spaces...
Community
Purdue Extension Contributes at NACDEP — 22 May 2015
Purdue Extension and PCRD Team Members attended the 2015 National Association of Community Development Extension Professionals Annual Meeting this...
Community
All In’s Successful Community Forum in Jasper County — 25 February 2015
All In wrapped up its community forum in Jasper County on Tuesday, February 24. All In is a three-part program developed by Purdue Extension that...
Community
Extension Provides Leadership at Batesville Food and Growers Association Annual Conference — 08 February 2015
Food and Growers Association (FGA) hosted their 9th annual conference on February 7, 2015, in Batesville.
Community
A Powerful Network: Purdue Extension Support is Critical to Small Businesses — 30 January 2015
Purdue Extension’s involvement in community development initiatives helps individuals, businesses and communities acquire the knowledge and...
Community
Hometown Collaboration Initiative Communities Unveiled — 09 January 2015
Indiana Lieutenant Governor Sue Ellspermann announced six communities that have been selected to participate in the Office of Community and Rural...
Community
Extension Leads Strategic Planning Process for the Food Bank of Northwest Indiana — 05 January 2015
On December 19, 2014, the Food Bank of Northwest Indiana Board of Directors adopted a plan to increase the number of meals distributed by two...