By BOBBY WARREN

Staff Writer

WOOSTER All Brian Gwin wanted to do was inform the Ag Success Team the board structure of the Wayne Economic Development Council was changing.

Gwin, a project coordinator who focuses on agriculture, wanted to convey with the change there would be opportunities for farmers and others involved in the ag community to sit on committees and boards and help shape the direction of the economic development agency.

However, team members wanted to discuss what changes they would make to WEDC's enumerated powers and responsibilities.

WEDC is a public-private agency the county taps to handle economic development, Commissioner Ann Obrecht said. For her, it made sense the agency would realign its board and use committees more.

WEDC has about 36 board members, but an executive committee of about four or five has made most of the decisions, Obrecht said.

The new executive committee will have 12-15 people with an advisory council of not more than 21 members.

John Fitzpatrick, organizational director of the Farm Bureau who is among the WEDC directors, said he voted against the change because the old structure guaranteed two agriculture seats and now there are no guaranteed seats, though a director from the ag community should be considered.

However, since the changes have passed, Fitzpatrick said it was more important for him to focus on the positive things, like how farmers and those in agribusiness can help shape policies and decisions by serving on committees and becoming directors.

Gwin said he sees the commissioners as sort of representing the rural side of the county on the board.

Leah Miller of the Small Farm Institute said there are some strong ag-based manufacturing companies on the WEDC board, as well as people from the financial and insurance companies, that represent agricultural interests.

"I truly believe agriculture will be represented on the executive board," Obrecht said. "That's the intent."

Tom Stocksdale, who handles ag banking for PNC Bank, noted the word "agriculture" does not appear in the agency's powers and responsibilities.

Katie Myers-Griffith, farmland projects coordinator with Countryside Conservancy, said she would like to see agriculture specifically spelled out in the WEDC document, as it is in comprehensive and strategic plans.

Fred Myers, a farmer who is a member of WEDC, said it would be nice to have more participation from farmers, however, he believes the Farm Bureau represents the interests of the agricultural community on the council's board.

"I think we have a larger voice than people perceive," farmer Karl Kanehl said. "I think Brian (Gwin) does a good job."

Fitzpatrick suggested members of the Ag Success Team sit down with board members and talk to them. He called Rod Crider, president of WEDC, to inform him of the concerns raised.

Crider said Friday the intent of changing the board structure was to get more people involved, not less. If someone wanted to be involved in the organization, then it took being a board member. There were 36 slots, 12 of them mandated positions, which meant there was not much for the other hundred or so members to do.

The new committee structure will allow for more people to be involved, Crider said, adding agriculture is very important to his organization and there was no intent to lessen its role.

Reporter Bobby Warren can be reached at 330-287-1639 or bwarren@the-daily-record.com.