Page 54 - FDI Alliance International Magazine. Winter 2020 Digital Interactive Issue.

We’ve been reminded of the anguish of loneliness and isolation. Huntington County, Indiana, is a place where the County, City,
We’ve also been reminded that words like “businesses” and “the and Township governments all share the same name, Huntington,
economy” refer to the activity of our friends, families and neighbors, in honor of Samuel Huntington a signer of the U.S. Declaration of
not some type of anonymous, cynical, cold-hearted entities we Independence. It is by no means perfect but it is a place where
neither understand nor appreciate. We are social animals and we people can, and do prosper, and can belong.
need each other.
The people of the County do have some things in common with
Samuel Huntington; most are fiercely independent, in fact, the current
Maybe we even found, peering through our masks, new ways to be
better people? Ways to be more prosperous in spite of everything? Mayor of the City of Huntington, Richard Strick, is himself not a
We support each other in part by supporting our businesses. member of either major political party but indeed an independent.
In this community, however, the independent nature of the residents

The small, rural, marketplace that is Huntington County, Indiana is not at the expense of others but to the benefit of each other.
(population 35,000) found in the northeast part of the State of
Huntington County is home to dozens of philanthropic and benevolent
Indiana in America’s Great Lakes region, experienced significant
organizations. Pathfinder Services, Inc., provides a robust menu of
economic growth in the midst of this year’s challenges, reports human development programs to help strengthen the communities
Mark Wickersham, the executive director for the Huntington County they serve by enabling people with developmental or economic
Economic Development Corporation. “My little agency helped
challenges to achieve independence, inclusion, and stability.
facilitate nine new industrial projects with a combined investment
of private capital of over $32 million,” Wickersham said. Huntington University is yet another jewel in the crown for the
community. It offers more than seventy bachelor’s, master’s, and
“The downtown revitalization efforts of the City of Huntington doctoral programs. It has recently become a national leader in
(population 18,000) resulted in six new entrepreneurial start-ups. such areas as agricultural research, digital media arts, nursing, and
Our industrial occupancy rate is nearly 98%. Our unemployment occupational therapy in addition to their traditional liberal arts and
rate stands at 3.8% (October). We’re planning to double the business programming.
size of our local vocational learning center. It’s just been very
“Huntington University is a huge economic engine in our Community,”
encouraging. I can’t stop wondering how things might have been
if not for COVID-19,” he added. said Wickersham. But the University is much more than that in
the life of Huntington. The University is not shy about its belief to

COVID-19 has been a torment to everyone, every day. It should respect unity amidst diversity. They reject biased apathy, willful
also be a vivid reminder, that many people genuinely feel such ignorance and silent fear. They rejoice together, protect, care for
torment every day, not because of a health pandemic, but instead and grieve with one another. Those core beliefs, combined with
because maybe they haven’t been genuinely welcomed as a member professional expertise, has drawn students from thirty-five countries
of a community. Every human being wants to have a place they are around the world.
happy and content; successful, productive and prosperous. We all Those values were on display in the summer when the Community
want to “belong.” participated together with Black Lives Matters to speak out against

54. FDI ALLIANCE INTERNATIONAL