“Grow Wabash County’s pursuit of its AEDO reflects its commitment to provide best-in-class service to businesses that call the county home. The new strategic plan will ensure Grow Wabash County best supports businesses to thrive.”
– Zyan Miller
WVPA Economic Development
Relations Specialist
A breakfast meeting started Tenille Zartman’s morning, along with support for a multiyear effort to strengthen business growth in Wabash County.
Wabash Valley Power Alliance awarded a $5,000 Community Support Grant to Grow Wabash County, a local business development nonprofit, as the organization embarks on a multiyear effort to earn its accredited economic development organization (AEDO) credential. Zartman, the president and CEO of Grow Wabash County, learned about the grant during a breakfast meeting with WVPA Senior Economic Development Manager Rachel Huser and Rachel Olsen, marketing and communications administrator at Heartland REMC, which provides electricity for part of the county.
WVPA Senior Economic Development Manager Rachel Huser (left) and Rachel Olsen, communications administrator for Heartland REMC (right), pose with Grow Wabash County CEO Tenille Zartman (second from left) and Chelsea Parson, development and marking project manager for the organization
“There are a lot of changes and challenges we are trying to navigate in different industries,” Zartman said. “In the midst of this change, I wanted to make sure our organization had a good foundational base for the team. Also, I wanted to make sure that stakeholders feel good about Grow Wabash County, and the AEDO accreditation will reinforce that.”
The organization focuses on workforce and business development in the county. The Community Support Grant will fund Grow Wabash County’s work to develop a strategic plan that will guide the organization’s future direction.
“Grow Wabash County’s pursuit of its AEDO reflects its commitment to provide best-in-class service to businesses that call the county home,” said Zyan Miller, economic development relations specialist at WVPA who worked with the organization on the grant. “The new strategic plan will ensure Grow Wabash County best supports businesses to thrive.”
The plan will be a vital part of the AEDO accreditation process. To earn the credential, economic developers from across the country will review Grow Wabash County, including strategic direction and planning, and interview the organization’s staff and stakeholders.
“Being able to say we’re accredited means that we have professional development for our team and they have the understanding of business needs,” Zartman said. “For our external stakeholders, it’s just making sure that we are a trusted resource.”
The county will build on the momentum it has developed in recent years. Local government and community leaders meet regularly to discuss needs and pursue resources.
In 2024, the county was one of two winners of the Stellar Pathways program from the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs, which provided funding for more than a dozen community and infrastructure projects. The county received additional Regional Economic Acceleration and Development Initiative (READI) grants from the Indiana Economic Development Corp.
“The team at Grow Wabash County has been pivotal in supporting local business and community growth,” said Heartland REMC CEO Colt Burnau. “Businesses in the region, and those looking to invest here, know that they will be supported by local partners dedicated to seeing them thrive.”