Nothing prepared Dave Keiser for Carroll County, Illinois like his four years in Morocco



As a Peace Corps volunteer, Keiser learned Arabic and worked with large animal husbandry. He said his time in North Africa taught him to adapt. Keiser, the interim director of Carroll County Economic Development Corporation, already feels comfortable in Carroll County.

Nothing prepared Dave Keiser for Carroll County, Illinois like his four years in Morocco

Keiser at home in Carroll County


Interim economic development coordinator has big plans for area

By ABBIE REESE | For The Journal-Standard

SAVANNA - As odd as it may sound, nothing prepared Dave Keiser for Carroll County like his four years in Morocco.

As a Peace Corps volunteer, Keiser learned Arabic and worked with large animal husbandry. He said his time in North Africa taught him to adapt. Keiser, the interim director of Carroll County Economic Development Corporation, already feels comfortable in Carroll County.

“I really feel at home here,” Keiser said.

It's likely this fifth-generation Nebraska farmer is seeing his roots reflected in this land and its people. The Peace Corps fellow accepted a one-year assignment to establish the nonprofit entity as part of his master's degree studies in economics and rural community development at Western Illinois University.

His mission: to open the offices of an economic development corporation. The commercial space is now occupied on Route 84, one mile south of Savanna.

Steven Haring, economic development director at Blackhawk Hills Economic Development District, believes this agency - in one of the six counties within his district's scope - will be vital in creating economic growth.

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“We've all worked with Dave and his board to help nurture and move this along,” Haring said. “I think it's the right thing to do.”

But while the corporation is still in its infancy, Keiser is expecting more than baby steps toward a thriving local economy.

“We've set some pretty high expectations,” Keiser said.

The organization plans to market the community, retain existing jobs and create 250 new ones during the next three years. This last goal may have already been accomplished earlier this week when Medallion Cabinetry announced it will move into the Elkay Manufacturing Plant within a few months.

“We want this county to be proactive. We don't want this county to be reactive,” Keiser said.

Businesses are like human beings, Keiser said, in that a physical reveals their health. His office will conduct regular surveys to check the local economy's vital signs. Keiser hopes more small companies will open throughout the county, boosting the economy. Carroll County Economic Development Corporation will host an entrepreneurship program and, Keiser hopes, a business incubator to offer low rent on shared spaces so companies can get profitable.

And he has his own vision of what Carroll County could become. He would like to see the seven cities and villages become a “green county,” drawing educated transplants from Madison and Chicago. He'd like to see a wind farm on the eastern edges of the county, where the gusts are strong. He'd like to see solar panels covering the roofs at Eastland High School in Lanark and West Carroll's recently consolidated schools.

Eventually, Keiser said, the government will stop offering farmers subsidies, and locals need to plan accordingly with “alternative uses of conventional crops.” He looks at several spaces throughout the county and where others see parks, Keiser sees a film festival waiting for the throngs toting their blankets. Mt. Carroll, he says, could create an outdoor horror film festival paired with Raven's Grin Inn, a haunted house.

Keiser's term is up Dec. 10, but he would like to see the corporation's goals and his own vision to fruition, so he plans to apply for the permanent position once his contract as interim director ends.

At the most recent Carroll County Board meeting, members voted 8 to 4 to award the Carroll County Economic Development Corporation $80,000, which will comprise 60 percent the corporation's budget for next year.

When this story was posted in November 2005, this was on the front page of PCOL:




Peace Corps Online The Independent News Forum serving Returned Peace Corps Volunteers

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Peace Corps at highest Census in 30 years Congratulations to the Peace Corps for the highest number of volunteers in 30 years with 7,810 volunteers serving in 71 posts across the globe. Of course, the President's proposal to double the Peace Corps to 15,000 volunteers made in his State of the Union Address in 2002 is now a long forgotten dream. With deficits in federal spending stretching far off into the future, any substantive increase in the number of volunteers will have to wait for new approaches to funding and for a new administration. Choose your candidate and start working for him or her now.

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Military Option sparks concerns The U.S. military is allowing recruits to meet part of their reserve military obligations after active duty by serving in the Peace Corps. Read why there is opposition to the program among RPCVs. Director Vasquez says the agency has a long history of accepting qualified applicants who are in inactive military status. John Coyne says "Not only no, but hell no!" and RPCV Chris Matthews leads the debate on "Hardball." Avi Spiegel says Peace Corps is not the place for soldiers while Coleman McCarthy says to Welcome Soldiers to the Peace Corps. Read the results of our poll among RPCVs. Latest: Congressman John Kline introduces legislation to alter the program to remove the Peace Corps as an option for completing an individual’s military enlistment requirement.

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Why blurring the lines puts PCVs in danger When the National Call to Service legislation was amended to include Peace Corps in December of 2002, this country had not yet invaded Iraq and was not in prolonged military engagement in the Middle East, as it is now. Read the story of how one volunteer spent three years in captivity from 1976 to 1980 as the hostage of a insurrection group in Colombia in Joanne Marie Roll's op-ed on why this legislation may put soldier/PCVs in the same kind of danger. Latest: Read the ongoing dialog on the subject.

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'Celebration of Service' a major success The Peace Corps Fund's 'Celebration of Service' on September 29 in New York City was a major success raising approximately $100,000 for third goal activities. In the photo are Maureen Orth (Colombia); John Coyne (Ethiopia) Co-founder of the Peace Corps Fund; Caroline Kennedy; Barbara Anne Ferris (Morocco) Co-founder; Former Senator Harris Wofford, member of the Advisory Board. Read the story here.

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PC apologizes for the "Kasama incident" The District Commissioner for the Kasama District in Zambia issued a statement banning Peace Corps activities for ‘grave’ social misconduct and unruly behavior for an incident that occurred on September 24 involving 13 PCVs. Peace Corps said that some of the information put out about the incident was "inflammatory and false." On October 12, Country Director Davy Morris met with community leaders and apologized for the incident. All PCVs involved have been reprimanded, three are returning home, and a ban in the district has since been lifted.

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Top Stories: October 10, 2005 Carl Pope says the looting of America has only begun 2 Oct Report of PCV Misconduct in Zambia 7 Oct Chic Dambach speaks in Oklahoma 6 Oct Murphy to give papers to Heinz museum 6 Oct Mike Honda speaks out on Katrina 5 Oct Kinky Friedman could be the next governor of Texas 5 Oct Peter McPherson urges new nuclear weapon designs 5 Oct Doyle and Green in dead heat for Wisconsin Governor 5 Oct NPCA Membership Directory ready in late November 5 Oct GOP hopefuls avoiding Taft 4 Oct Ask not 4 Oct Russell Carollo wins journalism prize for "The Toll of War" 4 Oct Mark Gearan says provision was a mistake 4 Oct Mike Tidwell says Bayou has been sinking for years 3 Oct Carl Pope writes: Preparing for Global Warming 3 Oct Director Vasquez Meets with Volunteers in Gulf Coast 3 Oct John McCain's call to service 3 Oct Joshua Berman wins Lowell Thomas Travel Writing Award 2 Oct Operation Offset proposes freeze in Peace Corps Funding 1 Oct

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Returned Volunteers respond to Hurricane Katrina First and foremost, Give. Then volunteer with the Crisis Corps. Carol Bellamy says "In situations such as this one, money is needed the most" and added that Hurricane Katrina's impact on New Orleans is comparable to last year's tsunami. Thailand RPCV Thomas Tighe's Direct Relief International has committed an initial $250,000 in cash to assist hurricane victims. Mayor Tom Murphy (RPCV Paraguay) says Pittsburgh is ready to embrace refugees from devastated areas. Brazil RPCV Robert Backus is among the first Vermont doctors to volunteer to travel to Louisiana to treat victims. Latest: FEMA requests RPCVs to assist in recovery efforts through the Crisis Corps and the Peace Corps hopes to send 400 RPCVs to the Gulf Coast for short term assignments to assist victims with their applications for federal aid.

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The Peace Corps Library Peace Corps Online is proud to announce that the Peace Corps Library is now available online. With over 30,000 index entries in 500 categories, this is the largest collection of Peace Corps related stories in the world. From Acting to Zucchini, you can find hundreds of stories about what RPCVs with your same interests or from your Country of Service are doing today. If you have a web site, support the "Peace Corps Library" and link to it today.

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Friends of the Peace Corps 170,000 strong 170,000 is a very special number for the RPCV community - it's the number of Volunteers who have served in the Peace Corps since 1961. It's also a number that is very special to us because March is the first month since our founding in January, 2001 that our readership has exceeded 170,000. And while we know that not everyone who comes to this site is an RPCV, they are all "Friends of the Peace Corps." Thanks everybody for making PCOL your source of news for the Returned Volunteer community.

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