The opening of the Department of Commerce Region 8 office at Ball State may open up new job and internship opportunities for students.
Lt. Governor Joe Kernan announced the opening of this office, and its director, Greg Beumer, at a press conference Friday.
The office, to be located at Carmichael Hall, will be the center of economic activity for Delaware, Blackford, Henry, Jay and Randolph counties, Kernan said. It is expected to open within a month and be operational by the end of the year.
Ball State is offering the office space for free to the Department of Commerce.
The Region 8 office is one of many Department of Commerce offices opening around the state centered at universities including Purdue and IU in Bloomington.
"This partnering (of the university and the Department of Commerce) will guarantee better jobs and transforms areas where we are focusing attention," Kernan said. "This brings the acts of the Department of Commerce much closer to the university and is important for everyday economic development and job opportunities for the region."
Once the office is opened, it is expected to be marked with a flurry of activity.
"We have a big job ahead of us," said Beumer, who is also a grant writer and administrator for Beumer and Associates in Modoc and is finishing his term as Randolph County Commissioner. "We have over 300,000 people in this region to serve, and I know I can't achieve this without the support of the other leaders in the region."
The opening of regional offices - 12 total throughout the state - is part of a plan initiated by Kernan, who is also director of the Indiana Department of Commerce, to modernize the department.
Kernan has announced the opening of other offices since Oct. 1 (which will work together) in Bloomington, Kokomo, Terre Haute, Madison, South Bend, Gary, New Albany, Fort Wayne, and Evansville.
"We are extremely pleased with this partnership," said Ball State Provost Beverley Pitts. "Ball State is an institution with a long history of entrepreneurship and that's an asset we can bring to the community."
Pitts said she is excited about the advantages the regional office will bring to students.
"There is an immediate value to students in that there will be new businesses opening which will lead to jobs in such areas as information technology and life sciences," she said.
Read More
Three Air Jam teams take home the win
October 12, 2012Nineteen teams shimmied, shook and flipped for a sold out John R. Emens Auditorium on Thursday night during the 25th annual Air Jam.
Bill Clinton Speaks at North Central High School
October 12, 2012Former President's Speech Could Have Effect on State Senate Race
