

Almost 100 people gathered in the Robert W. Plaster Free Enterprise Center at Ohio Christian University to attend a Rural Development Forum on Oct. 31. The event was organized by The Montrose Group LLC and the keynote address was made by Ohio Lieutenant Governor Jon Husted.
The morning consisted of a number of panel discussions addressing economic development and challenges facing rural communities. The panels were chaired by local business leaders, academic professionals, and state and local representatives. Ohio Christian University’s Chief Relationship Officer, Craig Brown, also participated in a panel discussion on “Launching a Rural Entrepreneurism Revolution” alongside other experts in business innovation.
Lt. Gov. Jon Husted delivered the keynote address in the afternoon and spoke on identifying comparative advantages within local economies. He emphasized that different communities are good at different things and should capitalize on what they do well and work on minimizing the impact in areas where they struggle.
“Be the best at what you are, whatever it is you’re good at, be clear that you know what that is,” Husted said. “That to me is where you start, figuring out what you’re the best at and leveraging that.”
Husted also encouraged attendees to believe in themselves and their communities if they hope to see economic development. For the local government side, he encouraged local officials to create an environment that encourages growth and aids the creation of new business.
Hosting events such as Montrose Group’s Rural Development Forum is one of the many ways Ohio Christian University serves the surrounding community. These events also provided students, faculty, and staff the opportunity to learn about business and government and promotes civic involvement in their communities.
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