Strengthen the capacity of local leaders, residents, businesses, and organizations to build resilient, inclusive, and sustainable communities through research-based resources and processes
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...
How do we know if a recession has started? Sometimes it’s obvious. In March 2020 during the pandemic emergency, weekly applications for...
Indiana voters elected Otis Bowen as Governor in 1972 on a pledge of “visible, lasting and substantial” property tax relief. The slogan...
Social Security trustees just published their annual report about the program’s finances. They predict that the combined $2.8 trillion...
It was printed in bold letters on the front of the envelope. “Open Immediately. Property Tax Notice Enclosed.” It was the annual...
Purdue Extension Community Development is the Indiana lead for the Great Lakes Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Technical Assistance...
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...
Communities and people in Indiana are adversely affected by substance use disorders. In Indiana, 1 in 12 people meet criteria for a SUD —...
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...
Purdue Extension Community Development is the Indiana lead for the Great Lakes Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Technical Assistance...
Purdue Extension was selected by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) to co-host a community listening session on end-of-service...
Last year Indiana homeowners were hit with property tax bill increases averaging 17 percent, an extraordinary increase. Will it happen again in...
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...
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.
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...
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...
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,...
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%...
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...
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...
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...
Inflation is coming down. The Bureau of Labor Statistics, which measures the Consumer Price Index, reported the 12-month inflation rate for May at...
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.
Indiana homeowner tax bills increased 17 percent on average this year, the largest increase in years. Other property owners saw big increases too....
In 2012, I served as president-elect of the National Association of Community Development Extension Professionals (NACDEP).
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...
Indiana county treasurers soon will mail property tax bills to owners of homes, rental housing, farmland, and businesses. Most will see big...
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...
If there’s a phrase from Purdue Extension’s Beginner’s Guide to Grant Writing workshop that solicits the most fear and...
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...
Farmland assessments for property taxes are going up. So are home, rental housing and business assessments. Property tax misery has a lot of...
Thursday, December 15, was a much-anticipated day at the Indiana Statehouse. It was Revenue Forecast Day, when the General Assembly heard the...
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...
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.
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...
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...
In 2018, Bo Beaulieu and Alison Davis decided to write a grant to USDA-Rural Development for the new Rural Economic Development Innovation...
On September 20, Regional Community Development Educators Tanya Hall and Steve Yoder led a daylong workshop on verbal facilitation skills for a...
The Federal Reserve is serious about battling inflation. They’ve raised their policy interest rate from near zero in February to an average...
The thought of writing a grant proposal can be intimidating for folks who are new to the process. There are multiple steps involved, multiple...
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...
Is this a recession? Real gross domestic product has dropped for two straight quarters. Real GDP is our measure of goods and services produced,...
The Purdue Extension Digital Ready program is designed to help small businesses learn to leverage online tools and services to grow their business....
Many years ago, I found myself in the crosshairs of my supervisor. It is a long, funny, and touching story about falling in love, learning to adapt...
Most grant applications can now be completed online with little, if any, personal interaction between the grant seeker and the grant funder....
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...
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...
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...
Creating Connections at Every Crossroad: Purdue Extension Community Development Program Supports the National Association of Community Development...
Here’s one way to think about property taxes: The local government sets its budget, subtracts all other tax revenue, and raises the remainder...
Over the past several months, my column has provided an overview of all five of the Business Retention & Expansion Program (BR&E) modules...
In April, Purdue Extension began piloting a series of training sessions for county extension boards across Indiana. The goal is to gather feedback...
Last month, I offered a glimpse into our Purdue Study Abroad trip to Ireland focused on rural development. Our planned activities exceeded our...
In 2017, Extension Community Development and the Purdue Center for Regional Development (PCRD) sought a way to help Indiana small businesses...
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...
Ribbon cuttings with large gold scissors often celebrate the wins of communities as businesses open. What steps are taken as companies add...
Last month I had the privilege of co-leading a Study Abroad to the Republic of Ireland with twelve exceptional Purdue undergraduate students. Along...
If you’ve ever written a community grant proposal, you’ve discovered that most applications have a standard set of sections that you...
Indiana communities are facing complex land-use planning decisions, specifically in regards to renewable energy. To assist communities, Purdue...
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...
Most community-related grant applications have a section asking for a description of the changes expected within a community if the proposal were...
There was a time when communities, and the people living in them, solved pressing issues using dialogue. Yes, there were moments when dialogue did...
Jeff Hermesch is the Agriculture & Natural Resources and Community Development Extension Educator in Dearborn County, Indiana.
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...
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...
Knock! Knock! The wrapping of knuckles on the large, dark door frame bellows down the corridor of the distillery. The distillery marks the history...
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...
Whenever I facilitate Purdue Extension’s Guide to Grant Writing workshop, there is usually a participant seeking funding to buy equipment for...
Our CWC, Becky Marvel, has been working collaboratively with the Franklin County Purdue Extension Office as well as the Franklin Co. Library to...
Farmland property taxes have been falling. Total property taxes paid by agricultural property owners fell 2.3 percent per year from 2017 to 2021,...
The New Year represents the opportunity for people to make resolutions and envision what the year might bring. We have dispensed with the...
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...
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...
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...
Last month I discussed a personal journey involving lifelong learning and giving thanks. This month, I am looking forward to the New Year by...
Three-legged stools are important concepts in economic development. Communities need attraction, retention and expansion by their companies so that...
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...
What will be the effect of the COVID recession on the property taxes that fund Indiana local governments? I’ve been thinking and writing...
Cooperative Extension was founded as a resource for lifelong learning for people throughout the United States. To be successful, lifelong learners...
America is scattered with small companies, and they compose the culture that defines our communities. A business retention and expansion program is...
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...
Over the past two months, I’ve had the pleasure of working with a non-profit organization’s board of directors from the Caribbean...
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...
Energy-intensive development practices contribute to increasing levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, which are leading to shifting climate...
This publication provides an overview of how changing climate conditions will affect Indiana and the Midwest and offers sensible strategies for...
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...
Fayette County Purdue Extension was featured in the 2020 Extension Annual Report for the hard being done in our community to food resources and...
How effective am I at working across cultural differences? Do others see me as culturally competent? One of the key frameworks of the Navigating...
As Community Development Extension professionals, we are constantly asked by communities to provide technical assistance and guidance on how to...
When it comes to business success, focusing on survival often trumps focusing on mission and vision. However, research reminds us that...
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...
Claire Crum is the new National EDEN Assistant Project Coordinator. She will assist in coordinating a variety of special projects in support of...
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...
On the other end of the line is Erin Emerson, Executive Director of the Perry County Development Corporation. Then, the Talking Heads song flows...
Over the course of time, most companies develop and establish a set of priorities – either intentionally or unintentionally – from...
The National Bureau of Economic Research is our quasi-official umpire of recessions and expansions. Last year it marked the peak of the last...
A team of Extension educators invites you to participate in a 4-part series about workforce development. Extension has an active role in this...
Purdue Extension Community Development is offering a professional development opportunity for individuals interested in honing their community...
Businesses have encouraged employees to take a part in their own health for decades. As society has gradually become more health-conscious,...
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...
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...
Do you help lead groups to accomplish complex tasks and make participatory decisions? Whether you are leading a visioning process, supporting a...
Please read the newsletter carefully as it has very important information about the fair and other events that are coming up!
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...
The Community Leadership Program of Cass County 2021 will run from September 1st through February 23rd. The program brochure and application can be...
Business owners in 2021 have witnessed many aspects of operations change over the past 24 months. The small business space is always changing, but...
Purdue Extension Community Development is offering a professional development opportunity for individuals interested in honing their community...
Community Boards of Directors are tasked with many responsibilities, from creating a mission statement to raising funds in support of that mission....
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...
The Open Class Handbook is now available! Please read it carefully to catch up with project changes!
Webinar Video >> Date: April 27 from 2pm-3:30pm (ET) Description: The NCRCRD is introducing new funding and partnership opportunities...
Community Boards of Directors are tasked with many responsibilities, from creating a mission statement to raising funds in support of that mission....
When I speak to community leaders throughout Indiana as part of Purdue Extension’s Community Leadership Program, I will often ask...
Driven by the work ethic her mother instilled in her, Sherri Bryant established Team Bryant six years ago when she moved to Indianapolis. She...
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...
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...
What can history teach us about the demand for goods and services post-pandemic? Larry Deboer knows.
A rendering in the office of Erin Belgarde, Strategic Planning Coordinator for the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians (TMBCI) in Rolette...
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...
When you’re looking to make data-driven decisions for local government financing, don’t overlook a great tool from the Purdue Center...
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,...
These participants from Purdue Extension’s Community Leadership Program were talking about their experiences using—and learning...
In 2018, a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation study on county health rankings reported that Fayette County ranked 92nd — the least healthy county...
Erin Emerson, Executive Director of the Perry County Development Corporation, knows community change doesn’t happen overnight. But with...
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...
Conservation through Community Leadership is bringing different interest groups together to plan the future of Cedar Creek, which flows 31.9 miles...
Attention ALL High School Students - Did you know Purdue wants to help you become a Boilermaker?! Giving Indiana students another pathway to...
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...
The Intercultural Learning Hub (HubICL), powered by HUBzero® [1], is an online collaborative space for researchers, educators, and...
The Pandemic has required instrumental and pivotal business adjustments in the economic landscape of companies. Traditional norms have been...
I can’t resist a good presentation graphic. Whenever I find an illustration that nicely captures a thought, theme, or theory, I’m all...
Katje Armentrout grew up in a small, rural community in Michigan’s Lower Peninsula – right in the middle of the mitt! She attended...
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...
Attached is the 2021 Handbook. Please use it to reference for project guidelines and livestock requirements.
Securing a financial grant can boost community initiatives that will launch a new program or build upon an existing one. The Purdue Extension...
“How do we expand our community’s leadership base?” “How do we get the next generation involved?” “When new...
Community development is just one area where Purdue Extension provides research-based education in all 92 Indiana counties. As a signature program...
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...
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...
He is well-known in the Indianapolis area as the “guru” of urban community development and leadership training. He is passionate about...
COVID-era technology allows workers to accept positions virtually anywhere, and anywhere virtually. For that reason, individuals can choose...
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...
Purdue Extension and Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant will open registration for American Citizen Planner – Indiana, an online training course for...
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...
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...
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...
Kayla hails originally from Ft. Wayne, Ind. Her first official day (Monday, Dec. 7) as a Community Development Extension Educator happened to fall...
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...
Regardless of what industry you are in, the prevailing question now is: How can your company survive the COVID-19 “new normal” we are...
To further the Community Development Program’s commitment to addressing diversity, equity, and inclusion associated with our programs, the...
For the December 2020 edition, we have hijacked Michael’s column to bring you some great news! Dr. Wilcox, Purdue Extension’s Assistant...
Purdue Extension recently surveyed over 350 board, council, and committee members throughout the state to better respond to their training needs....
The Great Recession began after the economy peaked in December 2007, and then continued for 18 months through June 2009. It was the longest...
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...
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...
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...
Purdue Center for Regional Development (PCRD) and Purdue Extension – Community Development (CDEXT) want to help small businesses shift toward...
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...
Forecasts? Don’t talk about forecasts. You kidding me? I just want to know what’s happening now!
In the midst of the pandemic, economic environments have shifted significantly. Competitiveness has increased tenfold, businesses are examining how...
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...
Located within an Indianapolis food desert, 25 volunteers gathered on a hot July day to build six raised garden beds and plant cool-season...
During the last six months, many individuals, organizations, and institutions have been stretched to their limits in terms of leadership,...
History has a way of repeating itself. Within the world of fashion, mullets have reappeared in adolescents. Men are wearing shorter, tighter shorts...
The wizards in Harry Potter’s Britain use many forms of transportation. Brooms, but also floo powder, portkeys, flying vehicles, the Night...
This year has given all community development educators a reason to tune into the expertise of the Extension Disaster Education Network (EDEN)....
A Latino Health Needs & Workforce Assessment study has launched in Clinton County as a collaboration between the Indiana Minority Health...
On April 30, when Lt. Governor Crouch announced that 61 communities had received COVID-19 response funds, Blackford County was among them because...
Purdue Extension and Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant have opened enrollment in American Citizen Planner – Indiana, an online training course for...
Since the COVID-19 crisis began, companies and communities have been running extremely lean on virtually every front, especially in the human...
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...
As any great leader knows, in order to lead effectively you must first meet people where they are. Every person’s experiences are different,...
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,...
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...
This article contains a list of resources for Indiana small businesses to support economic retention and recovery related to the COVID-19...
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...
Purdue Extension provided a free workshop for local leaders to learn about Indiana’s property tax system and explore trends in local and...
As our store shelves are being rapidly emptied of food, hand sanitizer, medicines, masks and other ‘essentials,’ I have been thinking...
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...
Lake County Extension collaborated with the Lake County Clerk’s office and the Board of Elections & Registration to present the...
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...
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...
The American Citizen Planner program, which provides training in core competencies for public planning officials, is now being offered in Indiana...
As globalization continues to chug along and the digital age continues to take hold, communities in Indiana need to adapt in order to remain...
November is the month that our neighbors and friends engaged in row crop agriculture are usually finishing their harvest. In a similar fashion, our...
Purdue Extension Community Development (CD) and the Purdue Center for Regional Development (PCRD) is ecstatic to announce the release of our...
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...
Workforce development – a commonly tossed around buzz word – but what exactly is it and what does it look like here in Indiana? For...
As 2019 comes to a close, the Extension Community Development team wishes you a new year filled with health, happiness and spectacular success....
Earlier this year, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Technology Engagement Center published a report commissioned by Amazon looking at the digital...
So often my travels leave me weaving alongside desolate country roads that are sparsely populated and towns that are blighted with empty, dusty...
Purdue Extension has offices in all ninety-two counties in Indiana. Through these offices, our educators are able to spend their workdays (and live...
On September 24, 2019, Purdue Extension Community Development educator, Amanda Galloway, and Tippecanoe County Clerk, Julie Roush, presented to...
We have all heard the old saying, “Change is the only constant in life.” Spoken 2,500 years ago in Greek as “Panta Rhei...
In the last ten years, Indianapolis has embarked on a positive economic path with initiatives such as the “quality of life” plans,...
This September is National Preparedness Month (NPM). The Extension Disaster Education Network (EDEN) has committed to participate in NPM to...
This is my first full week serving as the Assistant Director and Program Leader for Community Development with Purdue Extension. I am excited about...
FEMA defines localized flooding as “smaller scale flooding that can occur anywhere in a community.” Localized flooding is most common...
Urban forestry is a program that invests in the future of the community. Your final plan should consider the biological, management and community...
Agritourism as a business model is growing in popularity as Indiana farmers recognize a need to diversify operations and supplement farm incomes....
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...
This section focuses on how a comprehensive plan can be used to provide opportunities for active living through deliberate planning policies and...
This section provides an introduction to basic concepts of economic development and how they are related to land use planning. These include...
Purdue Extension and the Indiana Land Resources Council collaboratively developed this guidance document to support plan commission members as well...
Inclusive growth and the future of work were recent topics at the Community & Economics Leadership Program (CELP), led by George Okantey,...
DEI Indy earned the second highest team, out of a total of 28 teams, for the North Central region at the Impact Collaborative summit in Atlanta. As...
Eighteen staff from Purdue Extension and the College of Agriculture met at the Wright Forestry Center from May 21-22 to participate in a...
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...
Three different areas of emphasis are being developed into a comprehensive plan to help make central Connersville a place where healthier choices...
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...
Conversations move life forward. They can also stop things from moving forward. Relationships begin and end on conversations. Teams are formed and...
WASHINGTON, Feb. 11, 2019 – Assistant to the Secretary for Rural Development Anne Hazlett today announced that USDA and four of its partners...
The Town of Cumberland, Indiana, has launched a new civic organization dedicated to engaging the public through art and improving the aesthetics of...
George Okantey, Purdue Extension Community Development educator in Marion County, was recently named a recipient of the Robert O. Zdenek Staff...
As 2018 comes to a close, the Extension Community Development team wishes you a new year filled with health, happiness and spectacular success....
Decorating for the holidays is a long-standing tradition that for many include having a Christmas tree decorated in your home. Unfortunately, some...
La Fecha Límite Para Participar en una Encuesta en Línea Sobre Iniciativas Favorables Para Adultos Mayores se Acerca Para Residentes de...
In March of 2015, Purdue Extension Floyd County started offering beginning beekeeping classes. These first classes were met with much enthusiasm!...
Three graduates of the Community Economics and Leadership Program (CELP) recently utilized the education they received through the four-month...
Community projects are a component of many of the Purdue Extension Community Leadership Programs across the state. The Leadership Daviess County...
In the scope of society, we have multiple branches of communication. The facets we see depend on our generation, tastes and preferences and where...
This September is National Preparedness Month (NPM). The Extension Disaster Education Network (EDEN) has committed to participate in NPM as a way...
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...
Confined Feeding Operations (CFOs) offer an efficient system to feed and house animals through specialization, increased facility size and close...
The Community Development Achievement Award is presented to a Community Development Society (CDS) member in recognition of his or her outstanding...
Nineteen middle managers and millennials from four community organizations, four city government agencies and three nonprofit agencies recently...
Educate, validate, and elevate our employees so they can be the best version of themselves, help them in this regard to identify opportunities for...
Family firms comprise 80-90% of all business enterprises and range from mom-and-pop stores to corporate giants. Family businesses are an important...
Purdue Extension’s Beginner’s Guide to Grant Writing was recently recognized as a national award winner by the National Association of...
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...
How do communities change? The answer is quite easy. Change is implemented through attitude. Although the answer is easy, getting to that answer is...
Last week, the Supreme Court ruled internet retailers can be required to collect sales taxes, even in areas where they have no physical presence....
Huntington County Leadership Academy congratulates 17 graduates from the 2018 Purdue Extension Community Leadership class. The group has been...
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.
Leadership Jasper County graduated the 2017-18 class this week. The Community Leadership Program works to create a network of willing,...
Confused about plans, districts, zones, codes, and more? Knowing and using a common vocabulary of planning and zoning terms will help you...
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...
A comprehensive plan helps communities identify their shared goals and guides development policies that allow the community to reach those goals....
Michael Wilcox, Assistant Program Leader for Purdue Extension Community Development, was the May 10 guest speaker for the Community Economics and...
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...
Local government finance is complex and has become even more so since the implementation of the property tax caps in 2008. In 2016, taxpayers...
Congratulations to the 2018 class of Leadership Vigo County, a program provided by Purdue Extension Vigo County, who graduated last month! The...
Competitive grant proposals are an increasing key revenue source for nonprofits, educational institutions and local governments. One indicator of...
How do you get nearly 100 local residents to participate in your community forum? Through working hard on marketing, Hometown Collaboration...
‘Leader’ is defined as a person to guide a way by going in advance. Leadership is an important function of management, which helps to...
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...
Recently I had the opportunity to join in on an Office of Community and Rural Affairs (OCRA) Listening Session in Sullivan. The information shared...
Wired’s article, “Redefining ‘Broadband’ Could Slow Rollout In Rural Areas’, utilized remarks from our own Roberto...
For the next 10 months, the Purdue Center for Regional Development (PCRD) will be serving four new communities through its Defense Manufacturing...
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...
On June 3, the City of Indianapolis, Indy Food Council, Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), and Purdue Extension-Marion County hosted the...
Growth in business is a challenge for many companies and realizing constraints is the first step in the process. For many business owners, the...
The Indiana Office of USDA Rural Development (RD) announced the designation of the Southern Indiana Development Commission (SIDC) as a Stronger...
That’s the message that Rushville and Rush County are championing with the launching of the community’s own entrepreneurial website....
Hiring employees from various backgrounds, cultures and experiences leads to workplace diversity. The vast majority of employers view diversity as...
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:
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...
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...
Main Street corridors and county lines no longer bound society. The geographic boundaries of business expand nationally and globally for many small...
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...
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...
Small businesses are the primary driver of job growth in Indiana. In fact, existing second stage businesses generated 36% of all new jobs in...
The Indiana Office of Community & Rural Affairs (OCRA) announced on April 6, 2017 that the semi-finalists for Generation 5 of the Hometown...
INDIANAPOLIS, March 15, 2017 – The Eastern Indiana Regional Planning Commission (EIRPC) has achieved the “High Quality Plan”...
Did you know that half of all businesses in Indiana are small businesses? These companies are the economic drivers of the local economy. Typically,...
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...
The Southwestern Indiana Master Gardeners Association (SWIMGA) continues to pioneer efforts on strategic planning for their organization. A group...
Nearly 50 Southwestern Indiana Master Gardeners Association (SWIMGA) members attended a Visioning Forum on February 4, 2017. Community Development...
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...
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...
USDA Rural Development Acting Indiana State Director Alan Krapf has announced Indiana has been approved to deliver Phase VII of the Stronger...
The Hometown Collaboration Initiative, an Initiative of the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs (OCRA), is accepting applications from...
Purdue Extension’s Community Leadership Program offers participants the opportunity to make a difference in their home towns by equipping...
Tell City, Indiana, in Perry County sits by the Ohio River, 179 miles away from Indianapolis. However, after a project with the Hometown...
The Hometown Collaboration Initiative, an Initiative of the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs (OCRA) is accepting applications from...
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...
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...
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...
Purdue Extension’s new Conservation through Community Leadership (CCL) program is now accepting applications for the inaugural community...
Indiana Lieutenant Governor Suzanne Crouch and the Indiana Office of Community Affairs (OCRA) announced on January 18, 2017 that the Town of...
Members of the community came together on the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. holiday to discuss diversity at the “Navigating Differences”...
A Purdue program for small businesses was recently featured on WLFI News. The Purdue Initiative for Family Firms (PIFF) provides multi-generational...
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...
More and more communities are beginning to recognize the need for place based asset strategies when it comes to economic development.
An Enhancing the Value of Public Spaces Workshop was held last week with Bartholomew County’s Anderson Falls Park as the focus. Although it...
Leadership Vigo County launched its inaugural class with 10 participants on August 25 at the West Vigo Library. The sessions are all hosted by...
USDA Rural Development (RD) State Director Philip G. Lehmkuhler today announced the designation of a new North Central Indiana region for the next...
It’s my honor to inform you of yet another prestigious honor earned by Bo Beaulieu, Assistant Director of Purdue Extension and Community...
Small towns across Indiana are trying modernize their economies and hold onto younger residents. But where do they start? With jobs? Quality of...
Journalists, school officials and local government enthusiasts joined Purdue Extension’s Larry DeBoer and Tamara Ogle (@INTaxRockstars) on...
In January 2015, Purdue’s Community Development Educators were trained by Ohio State University to implement their comprehensive,...
The first Leadership Jasper County class graduated recently. Sixteen individuals representing a wide variety of careers and all parts of the county...
The Hometown Collaboration Initiative (HCI), an initiative of the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs (OCRA), is accepting applications...
Congratulations to the 15 graduates of Leadership Clinton County 2016 on completing 44 hours of training in conflict management, navigating...
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...
The department conducted the survey earlier this year. It asked questions about individual opinions on services, programs and facilities provided...
Local governments have faced many fiscal challenges in the past several years, from the Great Recession to property tax cap losses, creating a...
The Purdue Extension Community Development Program now has a Facebook and Twitter page! If you’re interested in getting better connected with...
The sun was shining as The Beef House banquet room filled with sponsors, committee members and participants of Leadership Vermillion County. Twelve...
The National Association of Community Development Professionals (NACDEP) and the Association of Natural Resource Extension Professionals (ANREP)...
Seymour’s HCI Coordinating Team is heavily engaged with Vision 2025 in planning and launching their Local Food Summit that will take...
The award of a federally-funded $40,000 planning grant will allow city officials to develop a Downtown Revitalization Study to address ways to...
Women’s Voices…some would argue that they are seldom heard – especially in the context of community and economic development. For...
In 2015, the Corydon HCI committee had many great accomplishments, ranging from strong engagement from the community to strengthened relationships...
The Valparaiso Chamber Leadership Academy graduated its 10th class, strengthening its collaboration with Purdue Extension. Sixteen participants...
On December 4, 2015, Lieutenant Governor Sue Ellspermann sent an electronic video to congratulate four newly designated finalists for the HCI. The...
OCRA has funded a $100,000 socioeconomic and fiscal study of rural Indiana undertaken by Extension and the Purdue Center for Regional Development...
Daviess County Purdue Community Development Extension Educator Cindy Barber was the recipient of two awards last week in honor of her community...
The national Stronger Economies Together program (SET) has earned a National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) Partnership Award for...
The kickoff for Leadership Vermillion County was held on Wednesday, September 9 at the Clinton Elanco Laboratories. Participants were treated to...
A team of Purdue University community and regional development professionals will play a key role in advancing the efforts of two groups of Indiana...
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...
“Imagining what Downtown Frankfort will look like in 10 years” was the whole point of the Enhancing the Value of Downtown Public Spaces...
Purdue Extension and PCRD Team Members attended the 2015 National Association of Community Development Extension Professionals Annual Meeting this...
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...
Food and Growers Association (FGA) hosted their 9th annual conference on February 7, 2015, in Batesville.
Purdue Extension’s involvement in community development initiatives helps individuals, businesses and communities acquire the knowledge and...
Indiana Lieutenant Governor Sue Ellspermann announced six communities that have been selected to participate in the Office of Community and Rural...
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...