Voinovich School welcomes Clara Bone as Economic Development Program Associate
September 25, 2019
Ohio University’s Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Affairs is pleased to welcome Clara Bone, economic development program associate. In her position, Clara will promote entrepreneurship in Southeastern Ohio by identifying opportunities to help communities affected by the decline of the coal industry, especially in Adams, Scioto and Lawrence counties.
Clara will work on the Building Opportunities Beyond Coal Acceleration Transition (BOBCAT) Network project, which helps regional communities overcome the impacts of the declining coal industry. Funded by a $1.6 million grant from the U.S. Economic Development Administration, the BOBCAT Network aims to boost entrepreneurship, workforce development and infrastructure.
“I am so pleased to know that my work will have direct impact in the community to bring economic prosperity,” Clara said.
She previously interned with the Nelson County Economic Development Agency in Bardstown, Kentucky, where she managed a database of 52 clients and conducted a survey of over 350 historic structures for the National Register of Historic Places.
Clara will put those skills in applied research, data compilation and analysis, and project administration to work at the Voinovich School, where she helps students, faculty and professional staff with reports about community and economic development.
“I am thrilled that, as an employee of the Voinovich School, I am able to combine my passion of data analysis and community building into one,” Clara said. “This is why numbers are fun because they can be used to analyze communities and their demographics.”
Clara’s interest in the way societies develop and change began at the University of Kentucky, where she received a bachelor’s degree in anthropology in December 2015. She stayed at University of Kentucky to earn a Master of Public Administration in May 2018.
“The BOBCAT Network Grant impacts the economy of the region and aims to assist in the workforce development in Appalachian Ohio,” she said. “I am so grateful to have the opportunity to be a part of that work.”