Collaboration & the Power of Persistence: Justin Sommer • Economic Development Director, Preble County (OH) Development Partnership

Justin Sommer, Executive Director of Preble County Development Partnership, joined Bethany Quinn, Executive Vice President of Golden Shovel Agency, on Shovel Talk to discuss 2024 priorities and how economic developers can make an impact in their communities.

Justin began his career in economic development on the workforce side and worked for the City of Piqua and the private sector before becoming the Executive Director in Preble County. His diverse backgrounds prepared him to ‘solve the puzzle’ and tackle big challenges like developing sites, building residential homes, and attracting more workers - all goals he has for 2024. All of those projects take time and persistence. “I wanted to be a baseball player when I was a kid. If someone had a .300 batting average they are likely to get into the hall of fame because they’re really good. But that also means that they missed 70% of the time,” said Justin. “In economic development, we are going to be told no a lot. You need to keep stepping up to the plate and taking a swing, because eventually you’ll make contact.”