Iowa State University Extension’s outreach to Iowa communities is changing. The restructured program area has a new director who is leading the development of a virtual clearinghouse of Iowa economic development technicians and educators.
Tim Borich, associate professor and extension specialist in community and regional planning and associate dean for research and outreach in the ISU College of Design, was named ISU Extension to Communities and Economic Development director in April.
“My responsibilities in directing this ISU Extension program area include coordinating a staff that comes from many ISU colleges and has the smallest number of field specialists,” Borich said. “Our task is to assist Iowans in their search for understanding and answers leading to productive, healthy and sustainable communities.”
To reach that goal, Borich foresees the creation of an online clearinghouse for Iowa economic development services. Providers of education and technical assistance would have a Web site to post details about the services they offer. Local economic developers would have an easily accessible place to search out resources — training, technicians and services — to address local needs.
“Extension is leading the initiative to create an online economic development service center for Iowa, where local practitioners can locate services and then build online contracts with service providers,” Borich said. “Extension faculty and staff will support this initiative by providing educational and research products that local decision-makers can readily use.”
Andrew Conrad, Professional Developers of Iowa state president, believes this new concept of contracting services virtually will benefit his groups’ members and others.
“There are a significant number of new people in local economic development — new to economic development, new to Iowa or new to the community,” Conrad said. “At the same time we are seeing fewer people in state level service provider positions. This makes it hard for new practitioners to network and know what resources are available to them.”
Borich’s vision for a one-stop shop will offer a virtual network and an overview of economic development resources that local developers can peruse and conceptually contract for services. This will allow ISU Extension field specialists to concentrate their work on specific content areas related to economic development, governance or community visioning.
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