Hilltop RISE Economic CDC Appoints First Executive Director

This past month, our staff spent a few days in Athens with our peers from around the state in economic and community development at the Ohio CDA’s annual conference. The theme of this year’s conference was “Rooted in Place.”

Due to our work being hyper-focused on the Hilltop, it’s easy to forget that our community’s challenges are being faced by similar communities all over Ohio (and elsewhere). Among many other things, we learned how other communities are addressing their challenges, about creative funding solutions for redevelopment projects, and the statewide advocacy the Ohio CDA is working on. It was exciting to see examples of great work being done throughout the state, particularly in and around Athens.

Back in Columbus, our Executive Director participated in a Zone In Gallery event hosted by Council Member Melissa Green for District 6 residents. You can learn more about Zone In Phase II and how to visit the in-person Zone In Gallery here. Don’t forget to submit public comments for Phase II by October 24th.

We had a busy and rainy August! Our staff and Board Chair kicked off the month by attending 2026’s third CDC Thinktank hosted by Eastland Development for Growth & Equity (EDGE) along with Columbus Redevelopment Corporation (CRC), Linden Economic Development Alliance (LEDA), and the City of Columbus Department of Neighborhoods. We learned about the redevelopment efforts taking place in the Eastland area and collaborated with the other partners. Later in August, EDGE celebrated its official launch event to the community which we also attended.