To The Daily Sun,
July 6 marks a special day for me. Thirty years ago, in 1992, I became the founding executive director of the Belknap County Economic Development Council. The council was formed by a group of local business people with significant support of the county commissioners and delegation.
The county was experiencing rough times. We had officially 11.5% unemployment — 17% unofficially. Five banks had collapsed. There were unprecedented foreclosures on businesses and home mortgages. Working together as a county, we built what was the first regional economic development organization in New Hampshire and became the model for the nine other groups that exist today in our state.
The council during my tenure garnered over 20 prestigious national and state awards and was recognized in the Congressional Record of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, as well as by the NH Senate, House, and office of the governor.
We established the first in NH nonprofit revolving loan fund lending over $6 million to businesses and assisted in securing millions in conventional loans. Numerous under-utilized mills were rehabbed for new uses.
Training opportunities for new and existing employees and workshops for business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs were offered. Our program, Making It in the Lakes Region, in partnership with Employment Security introduced students to regional opportunities. It later went statewide as NH First Job. Leadership Lakes was another initiative along with lr.net, first internet entity for the region. In the mid-'90s, state studies showed the county had led in job creation per population and was the best wired.
The commissioner’s storage closet in the courthouse was our first office. It was not just the efforts of community and businesses, but the support of our elected representatives — especially the county delegation that made the BelknapEDC, that serves to this day, reality.
Eliza Leadbeater
Gilford
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