The JOED Strategic Planning Committee group convened on September 26th at the Jacksonville Station, where an ECU Economic Development Honors Seminar was provided by Hayes Consulting Group. This is an important early step in the committee’s work as it conveyed a common understanding of economic development concepts and terminology.
Charles Hayes, Managing Partner of Hayes Consulting Group, recommended embracing “place based economic development.” This provides answers to questions like, “Why should I locate a business in Onslow County? What makes this place special? And how can we turn those special qualities into the creation of community wealth?” The group explored the concepts of the triple bottom line—and the precept that “All efforts must dedicate our specific resources toward the improvement of life experiences for residents, businesses and visitors.”
Dan Parks, Senior Strategist, congratulated the committee for taking this vital step. He noted that across all entities and political differences that “Economic Development can be a way to get people to work together.” Wanting a community to be successful is something on which most people can agree.
This seminar will set the stage for crafting a unified, vision-based community-wide plan that informs JOED’s program of work and economic development activities in Onslow County over the next five years. By working in a truly comprehensive way, all local entities will be “pulling in the same direction,” leading to a cohesive effort to grow prosperity in our Onslow community.
