WABASH, IN—Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch and Denny Spinner, Executive Director of the Office of Community and Rural Affairs (OCRA), recently appointed Downtown Wabash, Inc. Executive Director Andrea Zwiebel to serve the State of Indiana as a member of the Rural Affairs Working Group.
The governor has tasked this group with investigating avenues to set the course for Regional Recovery through new OCRA programs or the use of existing OCRA programs such as the Stellar Communities program. The Rural Affairs Working Group will be using resources from the Purdue Center for Rural Development. Purdue will facilitate conversations on how Hoosiers can partner together to help lead rural communities to the Next Level recovery.
The OCRA Rural Affairs Working Group is made up of 12 members and includes the representation of elected officials, economic development professionals and those in the field of higher education. Representatives lead from the Town of Goodland, Purdue University, Downtown Wabash, Inc., City of Butler, Indiana University, State of Indiana, Rushville, Ball State University, Ivy Tech Evansville, Southern Indiana Development Corporation, Southern Indiana and Scott County Commissioners.
“I am honored to serve my third year on the Rural Affairs Working Group as a representative of Northeast Indiana. I enjoy representing more than 100 Main Street Organizations across the state,” Zwiebel said. “It is wonderful for Downtown Wabash, Inc. to have a seat at the table to discuss issues for rural communities.”
According to Spinner, the state appreciates the willingness of those selected to be part of the process that will enable the Office of Community and Rural Affairs to launch new programs in the coming years. Their service is critical to the success of rural Indiana.
“We are fortunate to have so many strong, dedicated leaders from around the state in this new working group,” Spinner said. “I look forward to working with each of them to find new ways to help our rural communities thrive. For more information about Downtown Wabash, Inc., visit DowntownWabash.org
