Ball State University appointed one of its deans to the newly-created position of associate vice president of economic development and community engagement.
Kevin Burke, director of university communications, said Frank Sabatine, dean of the school of extended education, was appointed to the position, which will enhance the university's contributions to the community.
Sabatine said he would also retain his position as dean of the school of extended education.
Sabatine said the new position will supervise the Building Better Communities initiative, which the Indiana legislature began funding two years ago.
"This is a state-wide initiative," Sabatine said. "We did things from Ft. Wayne to almost Louisville, Kent. It isn't relegated to just this region in the state."
The initiative assists Indiana communities with economic development by helping create business opportunities and community organizations, Sabatine said. He is required to meet companies and other not-for-profit groups, he said.
Faculty from the College of Architecture and Planning, Teachers College and College for Applied Sciences and Technology will work with the community as part of the initiative, Sabatine said.
"I'm going to try to spend more time with deans and associate deans and department chairs and try to get them to development products for the community," he said.
Sabatine said he had ideas about how to improve the initiative's execution, such as better organization.
"I'd like to improve the efficiency of the operations of the BBC," he said, "and then to streamline the contracting procedures so we can respond to communities faster."
Sabatine said he wanted to increase the number of projects done and the number of faculty involved.
Sabatine said he was well-prepared for the position because of his past experience as the commissioner of the Indiana State Board of Tax Commissioners and the business development director of the Indiana Department of Commerce, which was strictly an economic development position.
Sabatine said he would be good for the position because of his broad background in community development.
"I've been in their work environment," he said. "I can better organize ways to take them out into the community."
President Jo Ann Gora said in a press release the university enjoys an important role assisting the well-being of Indiana communities.
"Frank Sabatine's long experience and many professional associations in the areas of economic development and community engagement will only strengthen those many community ties while allowing us to better communicate our successes to a variety of important audiences in both government and business," she said.
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