Published: November 04, 2009 08:59 pm      

East Texas leaders to meet to discuss local economy

By Nathan Straus

nstraus@jacksonvilleprogress.com



The 2009 East Texas Economic Development Summit is set to give local government officials a timely update on the state of East Texas economics Nov. 12.

State Sen. Robert Nichols will attend the summit and meet with local leaders to provide necessary information about staying strong in the troubled economy.

Among the officials who plan on attending is Darrell Prcin, Jacksonville Economic Development Corp. president.

Prcin said the summit will amount to an update on the economic conditions of the state, and will be a time to go over current and future state programs slated for the next two years.

“It’s an opportunity for Texas officials to meet, network and share information,” Prcin said.

Bob Goldsberry, Rusk Chamber of Commerce president, said he also plans to attend.

“We’ll discuss a variety of things,” he said. “We’ll talk about the potential of new programs for cities to conduct to continue the growth of the state, as well as employment and business opportunities for folks in East Texas.”

Goldsberry said the summit, which he has attended in the past, is an excellent networking tool for economic development professionals in the area, and a way to learn economic ideas. Officials who go to the summit even get a chance to talk to state legislators during an open panel.

“There are different topics from which we learn about different things,” he said. “We can revamp old programs to make Rusk and the county a better place.”

Prcin said those who stay at the summit always receive good and pertinent information about what neighboring cities are doing concerning the economy.

“It gives you a good chance to get together and learn what’s going on,” Prcin said. “I can glean some good information about the state of the economy here and what the future projections are.”

Prcin said an economist approach will be taken to discover where area communities stand, and he expects the summit to amount to an informational meeting.