Kim Buttram, ED Coordinator, Forney Economic Development Corporation, has recently completed Session I of the Economic Development Institute (OU/EDI) conducted by the University of Oklahoma in Indianapolis, Indiana.  Begun in 1962, OU/EDI now has over 3500 graduates.

The Institute is a three-session program, each one week long, which provides a broad spectrum of advanced education for the economic development professional and is accredited by the International Economic Development Council.

OU/EDI classes focus on the three major core areas:  Business Retention and Expansion, Real Estate, and Finance as well as areas of concentration in Marketing, Strategic Planning, Entrepreneurship, and Managing Economic Development Organizations.  Students complete 117 hours of instruction selected from more than 50 classes, workshops and discussion groups.

“I appreciate the opportunity for professional development which the EDC has provided and look forward to Session II in 2009,” states Buttram.  “It was an incredible week, full of many ideas to apply through my job to our community. I also met many other Texas/North Texas Economic Development folks and look forward to sharing ideas and experiences with them, too.  I particularly enjoyed the case study sessions where we worked on and ‘debated’ specific issues in groups.”