In January and February 2025, Buckeye Hills Regional Council is hosting a series of community open house sessions to provide the opportunity for 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.
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. This latest version of the CEDS, which looks ahead to 2025-2030, is titled Buckeye Hills Forward: A Regional Economic Plan.
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 upcoming open house sessions will help 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 then be forwarded to the EDA for its approval in June.
“The open house events will provide the opportunity for community members to see the further development of the strategy following last year’s community workshops,” said BHRC Development Director Sam Miller. “We have said from the beginning of this process that this strategy should be developed by our communities for our communities. Through this robust process we’ve incorporated a range of perspectives on improving the quality of life in the region.”
The Buckeye Hills Forward Advisory Group will meet from noon – 2:00 p.m. on January 23 to kick off the public comment period. This group comprises public- and private-sector representatives from across the Buckeye Hills region who provide guidance and input on developing the CEDS.
Local officials and the general public are invited to register at buckeyehills.org/forward to attend one of the open house sessions. Each open house will take place 4:00 – 5:00 p.m.
- January 23: Washington County – Buckeye Hills Regional Council, 1400 Pike Street, Marietta, OH 45750.
- January 28: Morgan County – Kate Love Simpson Library, 358 E. Main Street, McConnelsville, OH 43756
- January 30: Athens County – Athens Public Library, 30 Home Street, Athens, OH 45701
- February 4: Noble County – Caldwell Public Library Annex, 517 Spruce Street, Caldwell, OH 43724
- February 6: Perry County – Perry County District Library, 117 S. Jackson Street, New Lexington, OH 43734
- February 11: Meigs County – Meigs County Economic Development Office, Farmers Bank Conference Room, 236 East Main Street, Pomeroy, OH 45769
- February 12: Hocking County – Hocking County Public Library – Walnut Room, 230 East Main Street, Logan, OH 43138
- February 20: Monroe County – Generations Complex, 47115 Black Walnut Parkway, Woodsfield, OH 43793
Questions regarding Buckeye Hills Forward should be directed to Jada Riley, Development Specialist, at jriley@buckeyehills.org or 740-376-7636.