Questions-réponses : Sowder occupe le poste de président de l’IEDA pendant un an

The Indiana Economic Development Association (IEDA) has long been associated with Hoosier Energy, which was among the group of utilities, banks, law firms, accountants and other community pillars who helped start the organization.

 

In 2025, Economic Development Manager Jeremy Sowders served as chair of the IEDA board, helping guide the group through a year of transition.

 

He recently sat down to talk about IEDA and his year at the helm.

 

Q: What is the Indiana Economic Development Association, and how long have you been involved?

 

UN: IEDA is an association for economic development professionals across Indiana. It brings together local, county, and state economic development leaders, along with service providers, utilities, and others focused on growing communities and strengthening workforce opportunities.  It’s a big tent, with many groups playing a role.

 

I got involved on my very first day with the Indiana Department of Commerce in 2003, and it’s still one of my favorite stories. My boss told me he wanted me to attend an event. At the time, a hiring freeze had just been put into place, and it was unclear just how long I might keep the job. He told me, “I realize this is your first day, but I want you to attend this event and meet people you’ll be working with from across the state.” So I was in the office for a couple of hours, then walked across the street to the IEDA annual conference, which consisted of more than 100 economic developers representing communities from all over Indiana.

 

Walking around and talking with people really opened my eyes to what mattered to them, what was happening in their communities, and how they worked with elected officials and other civic and business leaders. And it was fun and energizing. Now, more than 20 years later, I have friends and colleagues I met that day that I still work with and talk to every day.

 

Q: What’s significant about what IEDA does?

 

UN: An organization like IEDA is more important than ever. When I first got into this profession, it was often called smokestack chasing. At the time, economic development largely meant chasing large factory investments. The goal was to recruit a big factory to your town to create jobs. Those investments strengthened communities, expanded the tax base, and benefited everyone.  Over the past 20 years, it’s changed, and now economic development professionals are expected to do much more – from workforce development and talent attraction to downtown revitalization, while still recruiting and retaining major employers.

 

Q: So how does Hoosier Energy interact with IEDA?

 

UN: Hoosier Energy was among the early members of IEDA. Service providers — including utilities, railroads, banks, and law firms — joined early economic development professionals and elected officials to help legitimize the profession and grow the practitioner base across the state.

 

That collaboration helped give rise to IEDA. IEDA was rooted in the idea that when a new company builds a facility in a community, it creates jobs and increases demand for services such as utilities, banks, and other local partners.

 

I’ll also give credit to Hoosier Energy’s head of economic development, Harold Gutzwiller, a longtime advocate for IEDA and the economic development profession.. All of us in the department – myself, Harold and Jeff Pipkin – started out at local, regional or state economic development organizations, supporting communities before we came to Hoosier Energy. Now we’re supporting our members and their communities.

 

Q: What was the task for you as chair?

 

UN: My tenure as chair focused on rebirth and establishing a plan for long-term sustainability while providing value and support to our members. Much of our time and energy last year went into reinventing IEDA.

 

We looked at what IEDA had been during the previous 20 or 30 years and embraced what was working. We identified what was working while moving IEDA in a new direction and positioning it for growth. That meant new messaging, new branding and a fresh approach across the organization.

 

Late last year, we came together and decided not to simply hang on to the past. We committed to assessing where IEDA was, where it could and should be, and focusing our efforts there.

 

That led to what we’re doing now, which is hosting listening sessions with our membership, one in every corner of the state.

 

Q: How did you enjoy your year as president?

 

UN: First, it was an honor to represent Hoosier Energy and our members at the state level. Whenever I spoke publicly, I represented Hoosier Energy and had the opportunity to explain who we are, what we do, and how we support communities across Indiana.

 

Overall, it was a deeply rewarding experience. I learned so much professionally. It was an honor to give back to the association that first taught me how to do this work. When I walked into that first IEDA meeting, I had very little understanding of the economic development profession, but the conversations and connections I made there laid the foundation for the knowledge and perspective I rely on today.

 

I’ll always cherish the opportunity, and I believe the work we did helped strengthen IEDA and move it closer to its motto: One State, Many Voices. It was a year of transition, but one that produced meaningful progress and positioned IEDA for even better things ahead.