A future Sussex?

By Christina Weaver
Special to the Coastal Point

	Special to the Coastal Point • Christina Weaver CEDS staff support members Julia O’Hanlon and Erik Hopkins (a graduate student, IPA intern and former Bethany Beach lifeguard) assisted at the Oct. 25 CEDS meeting.

• The region’s unique culture, natural beauty and quality of life;

• Sustainable wage jobs;

• A diverse economic development framework;

• Necessary infrastructure including transportation and affordable housing;

• Experienced and ethnically diverse workforce.”

That most recent vision statement for the economic future of the county was developed on Tuesday, Oct. 25, at the third committee meeting for the Sussex County portion of the Delaware Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS).

The attendees at the two-hour evening meeting were the hand-picked movers and shakers of the county known for their leadership skills and ability to represent the county’s diverse constituents, as well as interested and dedicated members of the public.

Whether present by invitation or by self-motivation, the expectation was the same: to actively participate in a process designed to make a difference in the future of the state and of the county.

Similar meetings are taking place in Kent and New Castle counties and for the state as a whole. The Delaware Economic Development Office (DEDO) is spearheading the initiative and has engaged the University of Delaware’s Institute of Public Administration (IPA) to manage the process.

Delaware is one of the few states not to already have a CEDS. As well as being a useful tool for the state in making public policy decisions, a CEDS is required to qualify for federal Economic Development Administration funding.

“Beebe Medical Center has a vested interest in the economic development of the area. Affordable housing is important for our employees. I believe meaningful recommendations will result from this process and make my time worthwhile,” said Jeffrey Fried, president of the hospital.

“The challenge will be to see how well it all gets wrapped together,” he added.

Fried, along with Gerard Esposito, president of Tidewater Utilities and representative for Sussex County on the Diamond State Port Corporation’s Board of Directors are the co-chairs of the Sussex CEDS committee.

José Quinones, program manager for Delmarva Rural Ministries and member of the Governor’s Council on Hispanic Affairs, also identified affordable housing as a need in the county.

“I am excited for the Hispanic community that we are included in a forum where the future of the county is being addressed,” he noted. “I feel very welcome and believe an honest effort is being made here. I just hope it will be followed through.”

Meeting facilitator Bill McGowan, from the University of Delaware’s Cooperative Extension, reminded the group that in the first two meetings they had identified those things they most cherish and would most like to change in the county, and had performed a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) analysis.

The purpose of the evening’s meeting, he explained, was to use that information to develop a vision statement from which goals would be elicited.

“A vision is like a light house,” McGowan told the group. “It is not a destination but it points the way.”

He presented a draft vision for the group to consider and brought participants’ attention to examples of other visions in their packet of handouts.

It was not a meeting for people to listen to and nod off. Participants spoke up on their own initiative, as well as when called upon by the facilitator.

Tom Halverstadt, vice president of Carl Freeman Associates, questioned whether the vision statement provided was too long.

\“It looks more like a mission than a vision,” he commented.

Margo Kia, a member of the public, suggested that the “character” of Sussex County was what differentiated it rather than its multi-cultural population.

Armed with suggestions for change in the vision, CEDS staff support members Julia O’Hanlon and Erik Hopkins were charged with re-writing the statement while the rest of the group broke into four subgroups to address the subject of goals.

“Be as specific as possible as you define the goals,” instructed McGowan. “You have to include who should be responsible, how it can be accomplished, by when and how you will measure the results.”

With only 10 minutes to spare before 9 p.m., McGowan pulled the participants together as a whole again. Each subgroup presented their work from flipcharts and the new vision was read.

Bob Stickles, Sussex County administrator spoke up, reminding McGowan that there were many in the group who would need to be back by 8 a.m. the following morning in the same location for the annual Sussex Today & Tomorrow Conference.

McGowan, recognizing the disappointing number of county residents present, indicated he would use that forum to test reaction to the work of the committee thus far. And before concluding a meeting that had started and ended on time and completed all items on its agenda, McGowan encouraged all to continue to provide input by e-mail and to return for the next meeting, scheduled for Nov.15 at the Seaford District Library.

“It’s a real opportunity to see democracy in action,” said Hopkins, a graduate student and an intern at IPA, as well as a lifelong resident of Sussex County. “It’s just too bad more members of the public don’t come out and become part of the process.”

He could have added that the experience would provide anyone a free education in strategic planning and meeting facilitation that would be useful in any organizational environment.

For more information about the Delaware CEDS project, contact Karley Barnes at DEDO at (302) 672-6811, or Bernard Dworsky at IPA at (302) 831-8710.