KLA Cadets Get Overview Of Economics In Kosciusko County
KLA Cadets Get Overview Of Economics In Kosciusko County
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Staff Report-
KLA Cadets Get Overview Of Economics In Kosciusko CountySYRACUSE - On Jan. 17, the Kosciusko Leadership Academy cadets visited the Syracuse Community Center where they learned about the economics of Kosciusko County.
David Findlay, president and CEO of Lake City Bank, presented on macro-economics with a focus on banking. Lake City has been in business for 150 years and started in Warsaw. Findlay explained how local banking matters to community development through a commitment to investing in the community. Banks provide a safe place for depositors to keep their money and they also provide loans to help businesses expand in the community, according to a provided news release.
Rob Parker, president and CEO of the Kosciusko Chamber of Commerce and executive director of Main Street Warsaw, presented on how chambers of commerce serve businesses in the community by providing business counseling and education, advocacy at the state government and networking. Parker spoke about crowd-funded projects like the fireplace in front of the ice-skating rink and the alleyway in downtown Warsaw. These projects are funded by the chamber, community donations and state matching funds; no tax dollars were used. Kosciusko Chamber of Commerce is a nonprofit entity and is 111 years old.
Dr. John Teevan presented an overview of both the history and current state of economics in Kosciusko County.
Teevan said, “It was originally the railroad that put this county on the map,” which arrived in 1859. He mentioned a number of businesses that came down from Chicago, including Dalton Foundry, Da-Lite Screen, RR Donnelley and Arnolt.
The economic growth in Kosciusko County has followed what Teevan described as the economic pyramid of growth, moving from an agriculture and textile-based economy, through manufacturing and into an education, technology and knowledge-based economy. Teevan said that a continued focus on research and development, finance and medical services, which are at the top of the pyramid, is the key to continued economic success.
The next KLA session will cover healthcare in Kosciusko County at the Lutheran Kosciusko administration classroom on Tuesday.
The Kosciusko Leadership Academy is in its 41st year of service to the county. As an independent 501(c)3 organization, KLA conducts biweekly morning sessions around the county to expose leaders to a wide variety of local topics and experts. The annual whitepaper projects have yielded many benefits to the citizens of Kosciusko County. For more information, visit www.kocsciuskoleadership.org.
