Letter: Ed Cole the smart choice for Dubois County Council

I am pleased to endorse Mr. Ed Cole for Dubois County Council, District 1. I have known Ed since he began working with Dubois Strong in 2014. As Director of Continuing Education at Vincennes University Jasper, 2001-2020, Ed and his staff shared the same office space at the VUJ Campus . On several occasions, we collaborated on several projects that benefited the community, region and VU Jasper, including but not limited to:

·Tour of Opportunity, a one-day program offered in partnership with Vincennes University Jasper, Patoka Valley CTE, Hub 19, the four Dubois County school corporations, and local businesses. It provides annually to over 500 high school freshmen with a firsthand exploration of job opportunities in Dubois County.

·Member of the Vincennes University workforce development advisory board.

·Help identify opportunities to partner with new training providers and higher education institutions for adult learners.

Ed was President of Dubois Strong from 2014 to 2024. Dubois Strong is the County’s economic development source for innovative entrepreneurs and thriving businesses and works to grow new businesses and to expand existing ones.

His major accomplishments with Dubois Strong include:

·Increased the Dubois County workforce population by attracting 64 new residents (24 grant recipients and their family members) via DC Relocation Impact Grant project.

·Collaborated with the County Commissioners, County Council, PSC and Orange County Fiber on the best use of $2 million of federal funding to increase rural broadband access in Dubois County.

·Increased private investment in Dubois Strong to a new high of $131,000 from 113 investors

·Created the Dubois County Child Care Task Force. Meeting with the goal of increasing the access to affordable child care.

·Convene an annual Agriculture Economic Summit with speakers who highlight the importance of agriculture in Dubois County.

·Administer the Dubois Strong Enterprise Loan Fund. Providing loans to existing small businesses and business startups.

·Collaborate with multiple business and public partners to present quarterly the Dubois County Entrepreneurs and Innovators events.  

·Provided advice and assistance for Purdue University’s Technical Assistance Program, Vincennes University

As an active member of the Dubois County Rotary Club, Ed has served on several committees and assisted in implementing various fundraising efforts for the Club, including Leadership Luncheons, Clay Shoot, Polio Plus, Strassenfest Autolauf, the annual Economic Forecast Luncheon, and the annual Athena Award.

In closing, with over 21 years in economic development across communities in Indiana and Oklahoma, Ed has a proven track record of managing multiple successful projects and business development for both for-profit and not-for-profit businesses. He is the most experienced candidate for Dubois County Council.

Ed is not only the right choice, but is the smart choice.

Jim McFaul
St. Anthony

The cutoff date for publishing endorsement letters in the Dubois County Free Press is Monday, October 5. Early voting opens on Tuesday, October 6.