6 Months On the Job

It is hard to believe that I have already been with the BDC for six months! The time has certainly flown by and I have learned so much about our community. If I had to narrow my experiences and observations into one word, that word would be: Teamwork.

Every aspect of economic development requires teamwork. From business attraction to retention and growth and everything in between it takes more than one person to accomplish a goal. As part of my focus on retention and growth, Tim and I have been traveling around to your businesses within the county so I can meet with staff and get to know all of you. These meetings not only allow me to get a glimpse into a business; they allow me to introduce myself as a new team player that is going to do everything in my power to help your business be successful.

After visiting with several companies and hearing their stories it appears that the top issue that is preventing businesses from being successful is: Talent. At the BDC, we realize that talent is a top priority for our business community so we are heavily involved in working with education to ensure we are meeting the needs of Monroe County companies. We work hand-in-hand with educators to ensure our standards are meeting the needs of our employers.

We realize that your organizations do not always have the time to outreach with education so we work to relay your thoughts with all levels of education in the county and beyond. At the end of the day, it all comes down to exposing students to opportunities. Research has shown that if you wait until high school, the majority of students have already made up their minds in regards to what they want to do with their life. We have partnered with the Monroe County Intermediate School District and Career Technical Education departments to make sure that we are displaying career opportunities to students earlier than ever before.