March 13, 2008

Erika Hennings to lead RPDA

By Jennifer Larsen

News editor

The Ritzville Public Development Authority is under new leadership as it looks at continued successes in 2008.

Erika Hennings stepped into the president's shoes after serving on the appointed board for nearly eight years. She follows in the footsteps of Dan Hille, president for the last several years.

Although she's taken the reins, Hennings is quick to point out that she will continue to rely on Hille's years of experience and the wealth of knowledge from the other board members.

She comes to the big chair with 12 years of experience on two boards of Big Bend Community College. She has served for four years on the foundation board and was a board of trustee for the college for eight years.

With Hennings at the RPDA's helm is Hille as vice president. Linda Kubik is the group's secretary while Jim Leffel is the treasurer.

Hennings expects to see the RPDA continue with the projects it's currently working on as well as getting prepared for future projects.

"Right now we're just, I wouldn't say reorganizing, we're figuring out where we need to go," she explained. "We're trying to get ready if something comes up. I think we need to have a little more polish on how we present ourselves."

The group is on the right track, marking small successes in 2007. Hennings said one success that will help pave the way for the RPDA was earning the city council's approval to fund two Washington State University grad students for two semesters.

Those grad students are playing an important role in supplanting the efforts of the completely volunteer-driven RPDA board.

Students will work diligently for the RPDA, preparing, polishing and updating a site visitation book so when the next prospect walks through the door, the RPDA is ready.

They could develop a professional presentation to the state Legislature about certain RPDA projects and why funding is paramount.

"That's what I'm excited about is these WSU students," Hennings said.

She hopes the board will continue to build on small successes, moving past roadblocks and wayward avenues toward building the infrastructure in Ritzville and seeing economic improvement.

That's quite a step up from the first few years, when the RPDA seemed to lack direction, Hennings said.

"We were a rudderless boat. We were all volunteers. We truly didn't know what we were supposed to be doing," she added. "We've learned as we've gone along. We've learned to be patient; nothing happens overnight... I just think there's something out there... We've kind of come to the conclusion we won't find a call center though."

The biggest roadblock for the RPDA, Hennings said, "We don't have the infrastructure in Adams County."

She noted that a fiber optic feed and networking capability is available in the RPDA's building on Main Avenue, but not throughout the city.

Hennings has worked for nearly eight years – since being on the BBCC board of trustees – to get long-distance learning capabilities to Ritzville. Until recently, that was still just a pipe dream.

Now with limited technological infrastructure in place and coordinated efforts with Big Bend Community College, Washington State University and the state's Department of Community, Trade and Economic Development (CTED), which continues to lend its support, both financially and in manpower, Hennings sees long-distance learning in place within the next couple years.

"We have some really good support," Hennings noted. Although she's unsure about funding, Hennings said that service could be here in the coming year.

With long-distance learning, city and county employees could take part in training that would normally require traveling, which is a cost savings to city and county coffers.

And if Running Start was taught using the technology of long-distance learning, Ritzville students could join others from other communities and the ones in Moses Lake for one Running Start session, and "that's where the cost savings is to schools," Hennings said.

Looking to the coming year, she sees the RPDA continuing to look for viable options at the freeway, such as light industry, as well as keeping up-to-date on discussions surrounding a proposed wheat museum.

"I think we're learning how to make connections with the right people, especially within the last year," Hennings said. "A lot of it boils down to being ready and funding. I think we're almost ready."