Welcome!

The challenge of change.....
We live in an increasingly complex world, where decisions made far away have an immediate impact in our backyard. Every day, each of us must deal with rapid change in our own lives, in our communities, and in the global marketplace. Yet, as citizens, business owners, and employees, we are all members of larger communities where local decision making still matters in business, in government, in our own lives.

Change challenges . . .

• Elected and appointed officials to deal with matters such as land use planning, land preservation, conserving natural resources, and capital expenditures in the face of population pressure and an urbanizing landscape.
• Individual citizens to understand global and local policies and social trends.
• Farmers and other business owners to figure out how to be more profitable in the face of global competition and regulations.
• Leaders from across the community to bring together people from different backgrounds and with differing values to deal with urgent and often divisive problems.

The Educators of the Capital Region Community and Economic Development Team bring diverse skills to help communities and individuals deal with change. We:

• Work with experts from Penn State and elsewhere to provide the best information available that will help develop better communities.
• Learn from the communities where we live and work, applying that knowledge to suggest viable paths of action to meet local challenges as they arise.
• Work with individuals to help them better their own lives and the quality of life in the broader community.

Who we serve

• Citizens
• Non-profit agencies and organizations
• Local government officials
• Farmers and business owners
• Youth

Our Penn State Faculty Partners

• Charles Abdallah, Agricultural Economics
• Tim Kelsey, Agricultural Economics
• Martin Shields, Agricultural Economics
• Jeffrey Hyde, Agricultural Economics