Rotarians learn about economic development from KEDC

President Sammy D. York, left, presents a book to Amanda Nobles, center, and Bill Mishkind, right, for speaking to the Kilgore Rotary Club on Wednesday. The pair updated the club on the activities of the Kilgore Economic Development Corporation. Amanda Nobles with Kilgore Economic Development Corporation, and Bill Mishkind, one of the board members as well as being a member of the Kilgore Rotary Club, address local Rotarians Wednesday at Meadowbrook Country Club.

Mishkind, a retired industrial leader in Kilgore, was one of the first recipients of a KEDC grant when he owned Pak-Sher here in Kilgore. Now a member of the board, he says his experience with KEDC has made him want to further its success all the more.

"I have been on both ends of the spectrum," he said. "KEDC has done a good job for me as a business owner, and now I am able to bring that perspective to the table as a representative of KEDC."

He said Synergy Park is great for the community, and it has served Kilgore well thus far and will into the future. He added KEDC brings wealth, jobs and a proud future to this community, and he is proud to be on the board.

Students in Sabine Elementary School accept books from Kilgore Rotarians K Castles, David Castles and Debbie Dudley. The three visited Sabine Elementary Wednesday to give Librarian Tammy Wood books that have been donated in honor of speakers at the Kilgore club. The students here reading the books are in the classes of Jennifer Wood, second grade instructor, and Kristy Davis, first grade instructor. Other board members besides Mishkind include Bobby Beane, Bill Adamson, Dr. Jerry Ted Roberts and Karl Edmonds.

Mrs. Nobles said the vision of the first board in 1990, including current Rotarian Dan Ballenger, was to acquire land and build in proximity to the company requests. KEDC has met that goal and expanded beyond that premise to reach even greater heights, according to Mrs. Nobles, because of the service of many great community leaders.

"The men who have served on this board, from the first one to the current one, are business leaders with vision," she said. "They realize what it takes and are willing to put in the time and effort to make sure the projects approved for Kilgore add wealth to the community for not only their time on the board but into the future."

Nobles admits that Kilgore is oilfield driven, always has been and always will be, but KEDC has been able to work hard and diversify the industrial sector of Kilgore so that the community does not suffer drastically during the times when the oilfield cycles down.

"The oilfield is cyclical and always has been," she said. "We need to work with the oilfield, respect what it can do and has done for Kilgore and work to diversify the economy to build on the success of the oilfield."

Nobles said a tax study is currently being completed for Kilgore, and she feels it will reveal great things for the people who have worked on KEDC over the years.

She said Kilgore is 1:1 in commercial to residential tax values, where other communities, at best, have a 3:1 residential to commercial tax value.

"Kilgore is unique in that the commercial sector and residential sector both drive the tax base," she said. "In other communities, the residential sector far outweighs the commercial."

She said Kilgore is a business friendly community, and that makes her job a bit easier.

"We can work with and support a wide variety of projects because of the business climate here," she said.

She did say, however, that KEDC needs to continue to work strongly with KISD and KC to foster a workforce that will allow the many successes we have seen to continue to grow.

"That is a very important thing for us right now," she said.

In other Rotary news, flags were put out Thursday or Friday for Labor Day and will remain up through Monday or Tuesday. The next flag holiday will be Veterans Day on Nov. 11.

This week week, Gordon Reed will deliver a program on membership and Anup Bhandan will present Paintings of 9- 11.

Kilgore Rotary Club meets each Wednesday at noon in the ballroom of the Meadowbrook Country Club. Guests are always welcome.