Submitted article
The Crawford County Partnership for Education and Economic Development (The Partnership)’s Board of Directors voted unanimously on July 22 to name Gary Frankhouse, Jr. as its Executive Director. This decision followed the retirement of Dave Williamson, one of the Partnerhip’s founders and its director.
Frankhouse has been serving the Partnership and Crawford County as Economic Development Coordinator since October and is excited to step into the director position. “Crawford County has made tremendous progress under Dave’s leadership, and I am thrilled to be able to keep up the momentum and be able to be part of its future,” Frankhouse said.
Mike Zappa, vice president of the Partnership’s board, said that the Partnership is pleased with the work Frankhouse has been doing, and is confident he is the right choice for the executive role. “Gary’s passion for Crawford County is evident in everything he does,” Zappa said. “He’s committed to the community and to our investors’ goals for moving the county forward.”
Frankhouse will still be handling countywide economic development, Zappa added, but the Partnership will restructure further to allow for the growth it has experienced since adding him to the team. Crawford: 20/20 Vision, the Partnership’s community development plan, has been bursting with activity lately, and will benefit from additional team support.
“Gary hit the ground running,” Michelle Failor, the Partnership’s communications coordinator, added. “He has brought a lot to the economic development and community development table in under a year. He understands, as we do, how closely related the two sides of the coin are, and what is needed to make things happen. The community has come a long way, but we have a lot of work to do, and we want to make sure we keep up with the pace that’s been set.”
Recent examples of economic and community development efforts of late include feasibility, and now business planning of a Sports Entertainment Complex, several job growth and expansion projects (Tramec Sloan, Pickwick Place, the former Swan facility) to the latest success – the Community Connectors grant.
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The Partnership, together with Crawford County school districts, was awarded (on July 10) a grant from the Ohio Department of Education (ODE) for $85,000. The grant money and funds contributed by local businesses will help provide additional mentors to local students and programming that will help them develop skills that lead to success, both in school and in the workplace. Crawford County’s submission for this grant was commended by Dr. Richard Ross, Superintendent of Public Instruction for ODE.
“Your program stood out to me as one that will have a long-lasting impact on your students, mentors and community,” he said.
Plans for the grant monies include expanding “Leader in Me” programs to serve all Crawford County schools, increase internship and co-op opportunities for local students and businesses, and the expansion of WAGE (Workforce Awareness for Graduates and Educators), which will expose more local high school students to local career options and paths.
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“There are a lot of good things happening in Crawford County,” Frankhouse said. “My ‘why’ aligns with Crawford: 20/20 Vision – I want Crawford County to be a more sustainable place. I want it to be a place where more people want to be. It’s not what we do, or how we do it, it’s ‘why’ we do it. I’m honored to be part of such a forward-thinking and influential group of people, but even more honored to lead them into what’s next.”