Mayor: summit a 'good first step'

Wednesday, August 13, 2008

BY JAMIE BARRAND

Editor

The first-ever Greencastle Community Summit was held Tuesday, and Mayor Sue Murray called the event "a good first step toward getting ideas in place to take us where we want to go."

One hundred people attended the summit, dubbed Community Forward. It was held at the DePauw University Janey Prindle Institute for Ethics.

"Quite honestly, I was thrilled with the turnout," Murray said.

Three panels answered questions during the morning. The first panel, comprised of Rod Lasley, President and Chief Executive Officer of North Salem State Bank, Mark Timm, owner of Cottage Garden Inc., Gail Smith, owner-operator of Almost Home and Final Approach Bistro restaurants and Larry Moore, general manager of Charming Shoppes Inc., discussed local economic health and workforce issues.

The second panel handled questions regarding asset-based development and communication. Murray Pride, a member of the Putnam County Community Foundation, Tammy Amor, executive director of the Greater Greencastle Chamber of Commerce, Bill Dory, executive director of the Greencastle/Putnam County Development Center and Jamie Barrand, editor of the Banner Graphic sat on that panel.

The last panel of the morning talked about campus-community relations. Speakers on that panel were new DePauw University President Brian Casey, Jeff McCall, an author and professor from DePauw, Jeff Pittman, chancellor of the Wabash Valley Region of Ivy Tech Community College, and Murray.

Murray expressed her appreciation for the panel speakers.

"Everyone had to take time away from work and from their busy schedules to give of themselves for this, and it was so wonderful of them to do it," she said. "We really should celebrate a community that is so giving."

Pride was happy to have been part of the first summit.

"I thought it was very nice," he said. "It was enlightening. I even thought it was kind of exciting."

The event's keynote speaker was Phillip G. Anderson, executive director of the Indiana Rural Development Council.

In the afternoon, discussions on all areas covered by the morning panels were facilitated by staff from the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs.

Murray said she and her staff will be spending much time in the coming weeks putting together information based on notes taken at the summit.

"I think we will come away with some concrete ideas about what our goals are and how we're going to reach them," she said.

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