September 12, 2005

Purdue Extension program changes name, sharpens focus

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - A Purdue University Cooperative Extension Service program area has changed its name to better reflect what the program does. The leadership and community development program is now the Economic and Community Development program area.

"The economic development aspect of our program area is part of state and university priorities," said Sam Cordes, assistant director of Purdue Extension and program leader for Economic and Community Development. "We've been working in this area for a long time, and we wanted to elevate it to the title level. While leadership is no longer part of our title, it is still an important element of what we do."

Purdue Extension is divided into four program areas: Agriculture and Natural Resources, Consumer and Family Sciences, 4-H and Youth Development, and now, Economic and Community Development.

Scott Hutcheson, assistant program leader for Economic and Community Development, sees the increased emphasis on economic development as a logical fit for Purdue Extension.

"We're qualified and well-positioned to offer these kinds of services because our work is research-based and unbiased, and we're present in every county," he said. "Economic development has always been a part of what we do. In the early years of Purdue Extension, it was about making farms more profitable. We still do work in that area, but we also have programs that help communities develop economically."

In recent years Purdue Extension started reaching out to individual businesses and entrepreneurs through county educators and the New Ventures team, which assists with business startups. At the same time, Extension began focusing even more on the state's larger economic environment and encouraging communities to identify regional opportunities and capitalize on industry clusters.

Hutcheson said economic development means more than just business development.

"It also means having strong, vibrant communities with a high quality of life," he said. "Work force development is a dimension of this, and Purdue Extension's community-based learning centers provide this for their counties."

Cordes and Hutcheson see all these factors adding up to one thing.

"Purdue Extension means business," Cordes said. "We're out there helping entrepreneurs start new businesses, helping existing businesses become more profitable and helping communities create an environment in which businesses can succeed."

The Purdue Extension Means Business Web site includes economic development publications, programs, partners throughout the state and other resources offered by Purdue Extension.

With the increased focus on economic development, many Purdue Extension programs will remain in place.

"We're still going to offer the same services that we always have, and we're adding new programs and changing our name to better reflect what we do," Hutcheson said.

Cordes said, "This name change is a sign of the changes happening within Purdue Extension. As an organization we've always been evolving. This is consistent with serving the changing needs and expectations of Indiana residents. We'll continue to evolve based on the needs of our clients and Indiana."

Thirty-five county level economic and community development educators are part the larger statewide program. They will focus on five areas, including entrepreneurship, community planning and visioning, work force development, leadership and civic engagement, and public issues education. Those educators are:

Those in counties not listed above can call (888) EXT-INFO for help in finding programs in their area.

Writer: Kay Hagen, (765) 494-6682, kjh@purdue.edu

Sources: Sam Cordes, (765) 494-7273, smcordes@purdue.edu

Scott Hutcheson, (765) 494-0899, hutcheson@purdue.edu

Ag Communications: (765) 494-2722;
Beth Forbes, forbes@purdue.edu
Agriculture News Page

Related Web site:
Purdue Extension Economic and Community Development

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