What’s your first thought when you hear the phrase “economic development”? You might think about our agency bringing new businesses to the community or working with entrepreneurs to help them startup and grow here. Attracting new businesses to the area, job creation, and small business support are a big part of what we do, but did you know that CEDA works in partnership with many local organizations in support of these goals?
This September, When Cayuga-Onondaga BOCES’ Computer Systems and Network Administration Instructor Matthew Champlin contacted us to let us know his students were back in class for full-time learning, we were happy to hear this news. BOCES instructors and students are regular collaborators with CEDA. Champlin’s Drone Photography students contribute aerial shots of Cayuga County that are used in our marketing efforts and shared with our local and regional partners to help promote the county. BOCES Graphic Design students regularly design logos for entrepreneurs working with our Specialists. CEDA’s clients get custom-made logos and graphics at no cost, and students get real-world project experience that they can add to their resumes and portfolios.
Recently, CEDA connected BOCES instructors with Elizabeth Hooper, Human Resources Manager at DuMond Farms in Union Springs. Through this introduction, Hooper was able to arrange a facility tour for Champlin’s students along with BOCES’ Plant and Animal Life Sciences students. After the tour, students were allowed to fly their drone and capture images of the soy processing plant, which were shared with DuMond and CEDA.
These interchanges between BOCES and our community are examples of how CEDA acts as an active intermediary among public and private sector organizations locally and regionally. They may not make for flashy headlines like groundbreakings and ribbon cuttings, but these partnerships are the fabric of our work as economic developers. We are grateful to be a benefactor of and play a part in this symbiosis. View a list of our partners and affiliates with whom we work to strengthen our networks and support the growth of our local economy.
