FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Monday, Jan. 23, 2006

Christine E. Serio, 302.672.6857

Dover -  The Delaware Economic Development Office (DEDO) and officials from the University of Delaware's Institute for Public Administration announced that the next economic development strategy Sussex County Committee meeting will be held on Wednesday, January 25 from 4 to 6 p.m. The meeting will be held in room 530 of the Carter Partnership Center on the Delaware Technical and Community College Georgetown campus.

The public meeting is part of a series of meetings for a statewide economic development plan that will stimulate business, foster a diversified economy and improve the quality of life for workers and residents across all areas of Delaware. The project is the development of a blue print for a Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy.

"We are making quite a bit of progress at our meetings because of the unique nature of the county," Gerard Esposito, president of Tidewater Utilities and co-chair of the Sussex County Committee, said. "The quality of life in Sussex County sells itself. We are developing economic development opportunities around the quality of life that will benefit the entire state, not just the county."

The Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy will be the first statewide economic plan and the first time the counties and states will be working toward the same goals. The development of the plan calls allows for local involvement and participation.

The DEDO program is being implemented and facilitated by a team at the University of Delaware's Institute for Public Administration.

"Creating this strategic blueprint for economic growth and vitality is a grassroots effort, calling on the collaboration of residents, community and civic groups, private industry, academia and state and municipal governments," Jud McKinney-Cherry, Director DEDO, said. "Committees representing each of the three counties provide their valuable input and ideas in formulating this statewide economic development plan."

This economic development strategy will foster federal and local partnerships to address Delaware's economic development efforts. The creation of this plan is required to qualify for Economic Development Administration (EDA) assistance and serves as a prerequisite for economic development district designation by the federal organization. EDA's policy is to direct its investment in targeted areas on strategies resulting from locally-controlled participatory planning processes established to development and maintain long-term economic development plans.

Meetings and public workshops will be held over the next several months in all three counties to collect and formulate input, projects, ideas and action plans.

The Delaware Economic Development Office, 99 Kings Highway, Dover, DE, is dedicated to retaining and creating quality jobs for Delawareans. For more information, call 302.739.4271 or visit www.state.de.us/dedo and click on CEDS.