“Bloomington is absolutely anchored by Indiana University,” said Danise Alano-Martin, director of the Bloomington Department of Economic and Sustainable Development. “Our economic climate is anchored by Indiana University.”
Alano-Martin also said IU allowed Bloomington to avoid some of the economic downturn that most of the country suffered in the most recent recession.
The forum, titled “What Does Economic Development Mean in Bloomington,” was planned by the League of Women Voters and the Monroe County Public Library.
Panelists discussed ideas for how best to pursue economic development and enhance quality of life for the entire Bloomington community.
“The series of forums is intended to help voters make decisions in the upcoming city election by underscoring processes and perspectives driving economic development of the Bloomington community,” said Kate Cruikshank, president of the League of Women Voters of Bloomington-Monroe County.
The forum was an unscripted discussion guided by Bob Zaltsberg, editor at the Herald-Times.
The panel was comprised of four distinguished members of the Bloomington community: Danise Alano-Martin; Jacqui Bauer, sustainability coordinator for the City of Bloomington; Lynn Coyne, president of the Bloomington Economic Development Corporation; and Richard Rampley of WorkOne South Central Indiana.
“They were chosen because they represent a wide variety of thought in the community,” Zaltsberg said. They came from the workforce, government and economic development, private sector, and sustainability office for the city, he said.
Within the scope of economic development, the panel discussed a variety of issues including sustainability, entrepreneurship, minimum wage and enhancing adult education to make workers more competitive in the labor force.
“I want to tell everyone there are plenty of jobs,” Rampley said. “Almost all of those jobs require a lot of skills. So, do the people who are looking for those jobs have the skills that are necessary?”
Rampley emphasized the importance of adult education in the region and the need for workers to develop skills that will make them more competitive for higher paying jobs.
Rampley highlighted a program that will provide adults an opportunity to earn certifications and make them more competitive in the labor force.
“Work Indiana is a short-term training program,” he said. “You can then take training in things such as CDL drivers, CNC machine operators, certified nursing aids — all of these are certifications that are available in a very short term.”
Alano-Martin said the city has worked diligently to foster an environment to promote economic development.
“From my perspective and the city administration’s perspective, we’ve worked very hard over the past dozen years to employ strategies and create new strategies that equate economic development with quality of life,” she said.
In addition to the questions asked by Zaltsberg, the panel answered question posed to them by the audience.
“With the upcoming elections we want to help voters have enough information to actually ask candidates hard questions,” Cruikshank said. “We hope this forum provides the community with more knowledge that will ultimately help them make more informed voting decisions.”
