Jasper Accepted Into Indiana HomeTown Competitiveness Program

The Jasper Chamber of Commerce and the City of Jasper are proud to announce being selected to participate in the Indiana HomeTown Competitiveness Initiative. HTC harnesses the power of this nationally recognized community development program, focusing on five pillars:  Entrepreneurship – Leadership – Youth – Charitable Giving – and Rural Families.

This initiative will help communities by mobilizing local leaders and building community capacity; energizing local entrepreneurs to build a strong economy; capturing wealth transfer to raise development dollars; attracting young people to strengthen community demographics; and helping rural families achieve economic success.

Through an application process and an interview and review – the Jasper HTC Committee explained our desire to be part of this prestigious Indiana program.

It was explained that because Jasper is in a position of strength (the standard of living is high, the education system is superior and unemployment is lower than state and national averages), it is ideal time for participation in HTC.  Jasper remains the major employment center for an 8-county region; we have an active downtown; there is a strong community foundation in Dubois County; there is a stable family environment that exists here; and Dubois County has just been named Indiana’s second healthiest county.

But we also have some areas that need to be addressed in order to keep our community vibrant and alive for the next generation.  The City’s newly adopted Comprehensive Plan will be a key component in our plans for the future.  Our five-term mayor is retiring after 20 years – so there will be new leadership and a new administration.

Over a dozen letters of support were received from various aspects of the community – each one unique – but each one also concerned about the need to develop future leaders and a continued strong economic base for our fine city.

With all of these factors in mind, a local Steering Committee met with the HTC Resource Team for an interview.  Those involved in the interview were:  Ken Sternberg, Lois Kuntz, Diane Schwenk, Alan Johnson, Rick Stradtner, Terry Seitz, Mona Hoffman and Nancy Eckerle.

Four members of the Steering Committee will attend the 2011 Academy being held in Columbus, Indiana from June 13-15.  The program will be both intense and interactive and will involve training sessions on all three days.

Following the training session, there will be a “kick-off” celebration, the appointment of a community coordinator and the creation of the five pillar teams.  Many members of the community of Jasper will be asked to step forward and participate to make this a very successful endeavor for Jasper.

The other communities chosen to participate in the 2011 Indiana HomeTown Competitiveness Initiative are:  Huntington County, Johnson County, Perry County and Jefferson County.

If you have any questions regarding HTC in Jasper – contact Nancy Eckerle at the Jasper Chamber of Commerce (482-6866) – or Mona Hoffman at 812/630-0787.