OREGON — The Ogle County Economic Development Corporation recently announcd it has hired an executive director for the newly-formed organization, a March 6 press release said.
“Charlene Coulombe, CEcD, EDFP, has been a phenomenal addition to our organization and we are looking forward to working with her to help spur economic development and sustainable growth in Ogle County,” Randy Schoon, president of the OCEDC, said.
The OCEDC is a newly-formed organization that partners with Ogle County communities such as Byron, Mt. Morris, Oregon, Polo and Rochelle. The OCEDC hopes that other Ogle County communities and businesses will soon join its efforts.
“By working together, we are able to share resources in order to develop and strengthen our communities from a regional level,” OCEDC Vice President Darin DeHaan said. “From creating new job opportunities, to helping support our existing businesses, those will be the major focus areas of our organization.”
Charlene comes to the OCEDC with over 35 years of experience serving in economic and business development. She understands the work that needs to be done to create a positive and diverse economic base in Ogle County.
“There is so much that goes into the attraction and retention of businesses and I’m excited to get to work,” Coulombe said. “I love what I do and want to help Ogle County. I’m looking forward to meeting all of the different community leaders that I’ll be working with. I’ll start by learning more about what their community’s needs are, and ways that we can work together to make the communities stronger. Economic development means providing a community, residents, and businesses a strong foundation that entails a variety of businesses to serve the community’s needs. There needs to be a diverse job base for stability so that communities are less vulnerable in this fluctuating economic climate.” Coulombe comes to the OCEDC with a background of building a variety of communities from just outside of Chicago to Minnesota. She also understands the needs of small towns. She has served under several county positions and has lived in small towns for most of her life. Some of the work she is most proud of has involved helping businesses thrive, working with startup restaurants, and even some Fortune 500 firms as well.
The OCEDC office will be located within the Oregon Area Chamber of Commerce building located at 122 N. 4th St., Oregon. You can reach out to Charlene to schedule a meeting and learn more at charocedc@gmail.com, 815-703-1338, https://www.oglecountyil.gov/county/economic_development/index.php or on Facebook and Instagram.
