Letter: JobsOhio’s model, team are boon for state

I respond to the excellent Dispatch editorial “Winning isn’t everything when Ohio is still second.” I agree that JobsOhio had a “banner year” in 2018, as evidenced by 266 job-creation projects that will yield 27,071 new jobs and $1.3 billion in payroll.

I also second the opinion that JobsOhio’s success can be witnessed not only in Ohio’s wins, but in the state’s ability to compete for projects such as Amazon, Apple and others. Ten years ago, Ohio wouldn’t have been in the conversation for developments like these.

Having spent more than 25 years in the public-policy arena, I have seen every state struggle to get economic development right. However, in the past few years, having heard policymakers from peer competitor states express their envy of JobsOhio and talk about the fact that Ohio has professionalized economic development, it is evident to me that we’ve clearly gotten it right.

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