Indy Superbowl organizers to speak at Community Conversation on Wednesday

Dubois County residents are invited to attend the second Community Conversation on the importance of place on Oct. 17 in Ferdinand.

In the second session, “How do we engage our residents?” attendees will hear from two people instrumental in connecting the entire state to Super Bowl XLVI in Indianapolis. The luncheon event will be held on Oct. 17, 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. local time, at the Ferdinand Community Center and costs $15.

The 2012 Indianapolis Super Bowl was considered one of the most successful productions in NFL history because the organizers found ways to engage the entire state in the planning and production of all the related attractions. Mike Harmless and Amy Vaughan helped lead the statewide outreach efforts and will be here to tell us how they did it and how small communities can apply the principles they developed.

The three-part series, called “The importance of place: Who we are, what we are, and where we’re going,” has included a session in Jasper, and the final session will be in Huntingburg on Nov. 14. Each event features guest speakers and breakout sessions for attendees to discuss ways to maximize Dubois County’s strengths and position it for the future. Attendees do not have to attend all three sessions but are encouraged to attend as many as possible. Registration is available online at http://duboiscountycc2.eventbrite.com or by contacting Jim McFaul, VUJC, at 812.481.5909 or jmcfaul@vinu.edu.

During the first session, Michael Hicks, director of the Ball State University Center for Business and Economic Research, presented his findings from the Community Asset Inventory, an analysis of data for all Indiana counties. He highlighted factors such as education, health, government impact, economy, arts and entertainment, recreation, and public amenities.

“Together we discussed Dubois County’s assets and how we can maximize them to impact quality of life and economic growth,” said Dr. Alan Johnson, dean of the VU Jasper Campus. “Now, we need to build on that base to discuss and create ways to engage our residents. Finally, we’ll create steps to move this county forward. But we need everyone’s help to visualize that plan and then to make it happen.”

The series is part of the Community Conversations program organized and facilitated by Indiana Humanities and the Bowen Center for Public Affairs at Ball State University. After an application period in early 2012, Dubois County was one of five communities in the state of Indiana to be chosen for a Community Conversation. The VU Jasper Campus led the application effort.

Session 2: How do we engage our residents? Wed., Oct. 17, 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., Lunch, Ferdinand Community Center, $15 The 2012 Indianapolis Super Bowl was considered one of the most successful productions in NFL history because the organizers found ways to engage the entire state in the planning and production of all the related attractions. Mike Harmless and Amy Vaughan helped lead the statewide outreach efforts and will be here to tell us how they did it and how small communities can apply the principles they developed.

Session 3: Where do we go from here? Wed., Nov. 14, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Dinner, Huntingburg Event Center, $25 This session will concentrate on what we have learned and how we can determine our future. The Ferdinand and Jasper Home Town Competitiveness teams will discuss what they learned from research surveys they conducted to learn about their communities’ strengths and opportunities for improvement.

We will review reports from the discussion groups held at the first two Community Conversation sessions and postulate some steps to move forward. Local partners also include the City of Huntingburg, Huntingburg Chamber of Commerce, City of Jasper, Jasper Chamber of Commerce, Town of Ferdinand, and Ferdinand Chamber of Commerce.