October 2, 10:45 – 11:45 a.m.
Session Description
With READI 1.0 behind us and 2.0 projects launching, now is the time to acknowledge our successes and consider how best to prepare for the future.
Session Presenters
Greg Jones is the Executive Director of Southern Indiana Development Commission. SIDC is a voluntary multi-county organization designed to help communities with economic and community development initiatives. Greg has served as Director since August 2006 and has overseen SIDC’s Economic Development, Community Development, Rural Transit, Housing Rehabilitation, Planning, Broadband, and Brownfield programs. Most recently, Mr. Jones led the formation of the Indiana Uplands Regional Land Bank, established in 2023 as Indiana’s only regional land bank.
Mr. Jones has a Bachelor’s degree from Ball State University and a Professional Degree in Urban Planning and Development from the Ball State College of Architecture and Planning.
Bryant Niehoff is Chief Executive Officer of the Uplands Science & Technology Foundation (USTF), which is leading development of a microelectronics campus at WestGate@Crane Technology Park. Supported by a $10 million READI 1.0 investment, the project is expanding critical infrastructure and utility capacity to accelerate growth in the region’s national security, defense, and microelectronics sectors.
Bryant oversees USTF’s efforts to advance the physical development of the technology park located adjacent to Naval Support Activity Crane and home to more than 60 organizations. With extensive experience in economic development, planning, and community development, he has worked closely with local governments, industry partners, developers, and regional stakeholders on large-scale development projects, quality-of-place investments, and public-private partnerships that support long-term growth in the Indiana Uplands.
Heidi Young is Senior Project Manager for Regional Development & Redevelopment with the Indiana Economic Development Corporation. Heidi is also a licensed realtor and previously served as Executive Director of Spencer County Economic Development.
Tina Peterson is the President and CEO of Regional Opportunity Initiatives (ROI), a position she has held since the organization’s founding in 2015. In her role, Tina works collaboratively with regional, state, and national organizations to advance economic and community prosperity across the Indiana Uplands, an 11-county region in southwest central Indiana. Through regionally relevant and demand-driven initiatives, ROI focuses on industry cluster strategies, education, workforce, and quality of place as essential determinants for regional success. Tina also serves as the President and CEO of the Community Foundation of Bloomington and Monroe County.
Tina currently serves as a member or an advisor on several state and national boards, including the Applied Research Institute, Inc., the Uplands Science and Technology Foundation, the Community Advisory Board for the St. Louis Federal Reserve Bank, Radius Indiana, Indiana Philanthropy Alliance, and Ascend Indiana.