Sue Cooper, Barton County Grant Coordinator, was one of 170 professionals to attend the Heartland Economic Development Course (HEDC) in April. Heartland attendees receive fundamental economic development training on topics ranging from quality of life, business and development funding, site selection, business retention and expansion, and workforce development.  

This training opportunity was made possible through a donation from Midwest Energy Inc.

“Midwest understands the importance of economic development to the region’s vitality, specifically when it comes to site selection and utility availability,” Cooper stated. “Collaboration is critical to sustainability and fosters public-private partnerships, and we are grateful for their continual investment in our area.”

The 2021 HEDC online class included representatives from Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, Colorado, Minnesota, West Virginia, and Puerto Rico. Attendees were trained by nationally recognized faculty from within the profession of economic development. HEDC is coordinated by the Institute for Decision Making at the University of Northern Iowa and is accredited by the International Economic Development Council.  

The Heartland Economic Development Course is a partnership of the Kansas Economic Development Alliance, Missouri Economic Development Council, Nebraska Economic Developers’ Association, Oklahoma Professional Economic Development Association, Professional Developers of Iowa, and the South Dakota Governor’s Office of Economic Development.

Barton County is dedicated to excellence in public services, striving to serve citizens in the most efficient way possible through government support, public safety, human services, and economic prosperity. Stay current with this and other information by visiting https://www.facebook.com/BartonCountyKS/.