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Community and Economic Development
Graduate Education at Penn State
2009 CEDEV Summer Institute
"Focus on Economic Development"
 The topics for the 2009
CEDEV Summer Institute are
described below. All sessions focused on applications and
practice for community and economic development and provided
opportunities for
discussion. Social activities provided additional time for
participants to meet each other and share ideas and experiences.
Local Development in
Changing Political and Economic Times
This session described
the current economic, political and policy climate community development
professionals face. The overview set the stage for the detailed
presentations and discussions of specific topics during the Institute,
including emerging public policies and implications for community
development practice.
Ted
Alter, Professor of Agricultural, Environmental and Regional Economics
Co-Director, Center for Economic and Community Development, Penn State
Diane
McLaughlin, Professor of Rural Sociology and Demography Graduate Program
Coordinator, Community and Economic Development
Entrepreneurship and
Entrepreneurial Communities
Entrepreneurship is heralded as an increasingly important component of
local economic development. Research on entrepreneurs identifies the
resources and support services for entrepreneurs in communities and regions as
critical for success. Markets clearly are key, but in addition to
markets
 and the skills and knowledge of individual entrepreneurs, the
networks among entrepreneurs, the support services communities provide with buy
local campaigns, shared services to support small
businesses, access to
modest financing, and efforts to identify inputs and expanded product
markets through matching entrepreneurs
and small businesses locally and
regionally, all contribute to small business success. This session
explored the key elements of why entrepreneurship should be a part of an
economic development strategy and examined the attributes of
entrepreneurs and entrepreneurial communities that are associated with
successful small businesses. Case studies of successful entrepreneurs
and entrepreneurial communities were provided.
Thomas Lyons, Lawrence N. Field
Family Chair in Entrepreneurship, Baruch College, City University of New
York
Presentation
Targeting Regional Economic Analysis
Long before the current economic upheaval raised the prospect of
nationalized banks and automakers, elected local officials faced
pressures to “do something” when factories shut down. A common response
has been to target specific industries for recruitment, even when that
meant forgoing taxes or picking industries with uncertain futures. In
this difficult environment, community development
 professionals can
play an important role by helping decision makers to better understand
the fundamentals of their local economies, with the goal of choosing
those strategies that potentially are most productive (and least
damaging) in the medium- to long-runs. We saw, in this session, that
well-crafted targeting analysis can help to focus energies on existing
businesses and to promote new firm formation through entrepreneurship.
Using the process of targeting analysis and the final contents
of the analysis, powerful insights into the regional economy can be
gained.
Steven C. Deller, Professor and Community Development Economist,
University of Wisconsin-Madison-Extension
Presentation
David W.
Hughes, Professor and Rural Development Extension Economist, Clemson
University
Presentation
Building Community
Development Strategies: Participation and Inclusion
 Successful community development requires participation in the decision-making process by a broad representation of those affected by the decisions
being made. Such a strategy recognizes the interconnections among the
various institutions and organizations in a community. Decisions about
economic development, for example, affect and are affected by planning
and land use, citizen support, financial institutions and the interest
and support of other local entities. The focus of this session was
strategies that can be used to encourage broad-based participation in
community decision-making with emphasis on helping
citizens and local officials and leaders to effectively identify the
connections that allow a comprehensive approach to helping communities
and organizations effectively respond to current and future change.
Kathryn Brasier, Assistant Professor of Rural Sociology, Penn State
Presentation
Energy and Community and Economic Development
Designed to provide participants with strategies and tools for assisting
communities in evaluating the benefits and potential issues with
building capacity in energy efficiency and renewable energy, this
session included discussion of overview of
community considerations of energy development strategies, ‘green’
workforce planning, identifying resources for energy-related economic
development, diverse strategies for energy-related economic development
and extension’s roles in considering and implementing energy related
development. Panel members provided an overview of the landscape in
these areas and will entertain questions posed by participants and the
moderator which focus on community and economic development issues.
Moderator
Nancy Franklin, Assistant Director, Outreach, Penn State Institutes for
Energy and the Environment
Panel
Rose Baker, Assistant Professor, Workforce Assessment Center, Penn
State
Jordan Humphrey, Graduate Research Assistant, Center for the Study of
Higher Education, Penn State
Ed Johnstonbaugh, Extension Educator, Renewable Energy, Penn State,
Westmoreland County Cooperative Extension
Tim Kelsey, Professor of Agricultural Economics, Penn State
Barb Kinne, Research Assistant, Center for Policy Research on Energy,
Environment and Community, Earth and Environmental Systems Institute,
Penn State
Maria Kirby, Assistant Director, Coordinator State Strategic
Initiatives, Office and Workforce Development, Penn State
Warren, PA - and inside look at community
development
 Warren, PA has begun a revitalization project that is not only focusing
on new buildings and storefronts, but also is implementing a greener
approach to heating and cooling the downtown waterfront. The city
is working with the Alliance for Cooperative Innovation to
install a geothermal system that will provide affordable heating and
cooling systems to the buildings in the project area. The field trip to
Warren, PA included an overview of the hotel and convention center plans
(under construction), a discussion of the aqua
thermal heating and cooling system and plans for its extension, a tour
of the senior housing and condos, discussion with the geothermal
operator, lunch and presentation/ discussion group with Mayor Mark A.
Phillips, Maurice Cashman, Council Vice President, James C. Nelles, City
Manager, and discussion with Christine Cheronis, Director of Gro-Warren. Strategies
Warren has used to fund these projects and processes used to bring the
different actors together in support of this initiative were discussed.
Host
William Shuffstall, Extension Educator, Penn State
Comments from 2009 Summer
Institute
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The evening social event with a guest speaker was especially
enjoyable.
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Dinner/Speaker – valuable overview of many issues – lively
presentation – very important.
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Excellent professional development.
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Institute
was well put together and organized and left me with a very good
impression.
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Re-introducing ourselves several times was useful, and helped build
our sense of group.
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I’ve been presented with the opportunity to serve as a “local”
spokesperson for green building trends and initiatives brought on by
the
U.S Green Building Council of Palm Beach County. Although
nothing is finalized yet, the conference opened my eyes to a
plethora of green initiatives that have sparked my interest to get
involved.
For more information on the Summer
Institute contact Natalie Novak, CEDEV Administrative Coordinator at
CEDEVinfo@psu.edu or 814-863-5884.
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