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Monday, March 31, 2008 9:26 PM CDT
Intern may be assigned to help Casey development
By ROB STROUD, Staff Writer
CASEY — Several community leaders were introduced Monday morning to the intern who may be assigned to help with economic development in Casey.
About 20 people gathered at city hall to meet Western Illinois University graduate student Traci Heffelbower as she prepared to tour the community. She is part of the Peace Corps Fellows Program based at the Illinois Institute for Rural Affairs at WIU.
The program provides students who have served overseas in the Peace Corps an opportunity to earn a master’s degree with a specialization in community development. The students serve an 11-month internship in which they gain experience while assisting rural communities in achieving their development goals.
Jay Markwell of the Casey Liaison Steering Committee said the internship will be the first step in a long process of promoting economic development, a process that will build upon previous efforts.
“We can’t get anywhere unless we start somewhere,” Markwell said. This effort is a partnership of the city, the Casey Chamber of Commerce, and Casey Industries Inc.
Markwell said office space is available for the intern at city hall and the Casey Industries board office. He said the post could eventually become a part- or full-time economic development position.
Karen Mauldin-Curtis, a program manager with the Peace Corps Fellows, said the visit gave community leaders and Heffelbower a chance to ask each other questions. She said if they are a good fit for each other, the intern could start working full time in September. She said a decision will be made in about a week regarding the posting.
Mauldin-Curtis said she was impressed with how many community leaders turned out and asked questions on Monday.
“Those are all indicative of a community that is interested and engaged and will be successful with the program,” Mauldin-Curtis said.
The gathering included officials from Casey and Clark County.
Heffelbower, 27 of Hastings, Mich., said the community made her feel very welcome during the visit. She served with the Peace Corps from 2004-06 in Corque, Bolivia. She is a double major in recreation, parks and tourism administration as well as community economic development.
The graduate student said if she is posted in Casey one of her roles would be to coordinate economic development efforts of the city, chamber, Casey Industries, and Casey-Westfield school district.
Tiffany Macke, community and economic development coordinator with the Cooperative Extension Service, suggested the Peace Corps Fellows Program to Casey Industries.
Macke said the extension services’s full-time economic development position grew out of a previous Peace Corps Fellows posting for Clark County. She said nearby Marshall has a full-time economic development position and it would be helpful if Casey had one so local volunteers do not have to carry all the burden.
Contact Rob Stroud at rstroud@jg-tc.com or 348-5734.
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