CEDC chooses leadership for 2022

BROKEN BOW - Leadership is so important in economic development. You must have continuity, commitment and collaboration from your elected leadership and Board of Directors.

The Custer Economic Development Corporation (CEDC) in their late January annual meeting elected their officers for the 2022 year.

Chris Smith, Palmer Monument Company, is Chairman. Jami Anderson, Thomas Livestock Company. is Vice Chairwoman. Scotti Ross, Bruning Bank, is Secretary. Ryan Vanderohe, Great Western Bank, is Treasurer

These positions are one year terms and new officers are elected annually.

The Executive Committee was also elected at the annual meeting.

The Officers and the following are included on the Executive Committee: Jerry Adams, Adams Land and Cattle; Mike Evans, Evans Feed Company; Stuart Fox, Nebraska State Bank; Kack Lindstrom, GTA/ Universal Insurance; Joyce Richardson, Runza Restaurants; John Sennett, Sennett, Duncan, Jenkins, and Wickham PC; and Loren Taylor, Sargent Irrigation.

The Executive Committee meets to conduct administrative business and governance for the organization.

The Board of Directors meets monthly to conduct the regular business, provide direction, accountability and policy management for the organization.

The CEDC has approximately 34-A members who each have a vote on the Board of Directors. The CEDC has approximately 43-B members (based on 10 percent of the total B members) who vote for four members to serve as voting members on the Board of Directors. The CEDC 15-C members are not voting members on the Board of Directors.

The Mission of Custer Economic Development Corporation is to “Provide leadership to facilitate the retention, expansion, formation, attraction and revitalization of business in Custer County.”

The CEDC Economic Development Priorities for 2022 include:

• Business Attraction, Retention, and Expansion

• Business Startups and Entrepreneurship

• Workforce Housing

• Special Workforce - Special Projects

• Workforce Skills Training Partnerships with Business and Education

• Workforce Marketing Recruitment

• Tourism

• Membership Sustainability

• CEDC Management Each of these nine areas of work are critically important to the Custer County economy. In my next article, I will go in depth on each priority of work to give examples and expectations of outcomes to help understand our work.

Donnis Hueftle-Bullock Pictured above is Chris Smith of Palmer Monument Company, the 2022 Chairman of the CEDC. “I’ve been fortunate to serve on the CEDC executive board in a number of roles and I’m excited to get the opportunity to fill the seat of Chairman for the upcoming term,” Smith said. “We just completed our new strategic plan and, while much of it consists of items out of the public eye, we do have some visible community needs such as workforce housing, day care facilities and examining the feasibility of a new wellness center on our list. I’m hopeful we can help support those needs and see them all come to fruition.”