~by Michael Wilcox Assistant Director and Program Leader for Community Development / Purdue Extension Associate Director / North Central Regional Center for Rural Development (NCRCRD)   As Community Development Extension professionals, we are constantly asked by communities to provide technical assistance and guidance on how to address difficult issues. To be successful, we rely on …

~by Michael Wilcox Assistant Director and Program Leader for Community Development / Purdue Extension Associate Director / North Central Regional Center for Rural Development (NCRCRD)     Every time new Census Data arrives, I receive a call from Perry County. On the other end of the line is Erin Emerson, Executive Director of the Perry …

~by Michael Wilcox Assistant Director and Program Leader for Community Development / Purdue Extension Associate Director / North Central Regional Center for Rural Development (NCRCRD)     A few months ago, I was contemplating revolution. Today, I am in a more reflective state of mind. Perhaps it was our family vacation, offering a fleeting taste …

~by Michael Wilcox Assistant Director and Program Leader for Community Development / Purdue Extension Associate Director / North Central Regional Center for Rural Development (NCRCRD)     I must be getting old. My mind seems to receive input and then I immediately associate that input with a song which – more often than not – …

by Michael Wilcox and Elisa Worland For many, just reading the title of this article sets off the tune in your head. Well, assuming that you can find it in your brain, which has become a jumbled mess over the last year for many of us. In the song, Jackson Browne sings: “Gotta do what …

~by Michael Wilcox Assistant Director and Program Leader for Community Development / Purdue Extension Associate Director / North Central Regional Center for Rural Development (NCRCRD) The Future is… I was looking back at my blog post from August 2020 where I was reflecting on my first year as Assistant Director and Program Leader. In it, …

~by Michael Wilcox Assistant Director and Program Leader for Community Development / Purdue Extension Associate Director / North Central Regional Center for Rural Development (NCRCRD) You may have noticed a trend if you have been reading my blog in the Purdue Extension Community Development Newsletter, I spend a lot of time thinking about data and …

~by Michael Wilcox Assistant Director and Program Leader for Community Development / Purdue Extension Associate Director / North Central Regional Center for Rural Development (NCRCRD) Community and Regional Economics Specialist / Dept. of Agricultural Economics / Purdue University Senior Associate / Purdue Center for Regional Development   The end of one year and the beginning …

For the December 2020 edition, we have hijacked Michael’s column to bring you some great news! Dr. Wilcox, Purdue Extension’s Assistant Director and Program Leader for Community Development and Associate Director of the North Central Regional Center for Rural Development (NCRCRD), was awarded the Mid-Career Award by Purdue University during our Professional Development Conference (PDC) …

~Michael Wilcox, Assistant Director and Program Leader for Community Development, Purdue Extension Every November, our Purdue Extension Community Development team takes a moment to reflect on what they are thankful for, personally or professionally. I always look forward to reading their reflections. However, this year has been like no other. Period. As such, it makes …