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Buckeye Hills Forward: A Regional Economic Plan

What does the future hold for Southeast Ohio? What do economic prosperity and resilience look like for those who live here? As an Economic Development District designated by the U.S. Economic Development Administration, Buckeye Hills Regional is responsible for working with local leaders and residents to draft and update a Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) that encompasses Athens, Hocking, Meigs, Monroe, Morgan, Noble, Perry, and Washington counties.

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Downtown in Athens Ohio, part of Buckeye Hills Forward

The next version of the CEDS, which looks ahead to 2025-2030, is titled Buckeye Hills Forward: A Regional Economic Plan.

This comprehensive economic development strategy is a locally based, regionally-driven economic development planning process and document that creates the space for our region to identify its strengths and weaknesses while bringing together a diverse set of partners to create good jobs, diversify the economy, and spur economic growth.

What’s Next?

In January and February 2025, Buckeye Hills Regional Council hosted a series of community open house sessions to provide the opportunity for more than 140 individuals, local officials, private industry, and other stakeholders to review Buckeye Hills Forward, a set of economic development goals and objectives that will help shape Southeast Ohio over the next five years. Buckeye Hills Forward was drafted with the input gathered from residents in a series of Community Workshops that Buckeye Hills hosted in early 2024.  

The community workshops hosted in early 2024 allowed Buckeye Hills development staff to connect with over 200 local leaders, business owners, educators, and community members who shared their input on the region’s strengths, weaknesses, threats, and opportunities. Drawing on more than 2,000 data points shared in these conversations, Buckeye Hills staff spent the next nine months drafting Buckeye Hills Forward.

Input from the open house sessions helped shape the final draft that will be presented to Buckeye Hills Regional Council’s General Policy Council—made up of county commissioners, mayors, and private sector representatives from across the region—for approval at its annual meeting in April. The plan will be forwarded to the EDA for its approval in June.

 

Buckeye Hills Regional Council completes a fully revised Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy every five years. During the revision years, annual reports are completed detailing any changes in information, demographics, statistics, or strategies. You can view past CEDS at the links below.

The Buckeye Hills Forward advisory group comprises public- and private-sector representatives from across the Buckeye Hills region.

Buckeye Hills Forward Advisory Group Members

  • Adam Kody, ACENET
  • Alyssa Stephens, OSU Extension – Monroe County
  • Brian Howard, BHRC Executive Committee
  • Clara Bone, Voinovich School – Ohio University
  • Daniel Leffingwell, Washington State College of Ohio
  • Faith Knutsen, Voinovich School – Ohio University
  • Fred Redfern, Village of Crooksville
  • Greg Gifford, Caldwell Local School District
  • Gwynn Stewart, OSU Extension – Noble County
  • Jason Hamman, Monroe County Port Authority
  • Jeff Slack, Village of Roseville
  • Jesse Roush, Southeast Ohio Port Authority
  • Jessie Powers, Outdoor Recreation Council of Appalachia
  • Jona Rinard, Washington State College of Ohio
  • Joy Evangelista, Hocking County CIC
  • Justin Denius, Noble Local School District
    Luann Cooperrider, Thornville Economic Development
  • Megan Riddlebarger, Corporation for Ohio Appalachian Development
  • Mollie Fitzgerald, Athens County Economic Development Council/Athens Port Authority
  • Perry Varnadoe, Meigs County Economic Development Office
  • Ryan Collins, National Association of Development Organizations
  • Sarah Arnold, Ohio Southeast
  • Shannon Wells, Morgan County Economic Development Office
  • Tasha Werry, Building Bridges to Careers
  • Tony Huffman, Washington County Career Center
Woman attending BHRC community development seminar takes notes

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Review the Goals and Objectives of Buckeye Hills Forward

Below are the eight goal areas and their objectives developed with community input for inclusion in Buckeye Hills Forward.

Goal Areas

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