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Scott Hutcheson
Purdue University
1201 W. State Street w West Lafayette, Indiana 47907-2057
Scott Hutcheson has worked in community and economic development since 1992. In his current position with Purdue University he is the Associate Program Leader for Economic and Community Development. In that role he serves in a senior staff position with the Purdue Center for Regional Development (PCRD) and provides leadership to the university's statewide Engagement and Extension efforts. In these capacities, Scott's work focuses on innovation-based economic development strategies, community support systems for entrepreneurship, and new approaches to workforce development. Scott's experience includes work with small communities as well as large regions. He has worked with over 150 Indiana communities and travels frequently throughout the U.S to help others interested in developing their local and regional economies.
Some of Scott's recent projects have included designing and managing an economic transformation strategy in North Central Indiana. This effort is part of the U.S. Department of Labor's WIRED (Workforce Innovation in Regional Economic Development) initiative. Scott is also developing a program to assist communities in growing their local food economies. The Indiana Flavor program is a partnership of the Indiana State Department of Agriculture, PCRD, and Purdue Extension. Scott is also currently working with colleague Ed Morrison on a new certificate program in Open-Source Economic Development that will be offered to economic development professionals across the U.S. This program is a partnership between PCRD and the Economic Development Institute at the University of Oklahoma.
Scott is also a competent grant writer having written successful grant proposals that total over $32 million in funding from philanthropic, and state and federal government funders. He draws on this experience in his work as an instructor for Purdue Extension's A Beginner's Guide to Grantwriting Workshop conducted semi-annually. Using Web 2.0. strategies in economic and community development is another of Scott's interests. He hosts the PCRD and ECD blogs (www.pcrd.typepad.com and www.pcrd.typepad.com/ecd), instituted the use of podcasts to deliver Extension programs, and is currently leading a statewide think tank on the use of Web 2.0 tools in Extension.
Prior to his work with Purdue, Scott held leadership positions with United Way and with an economic development consulting firm. Before starting his career in economic development, Scott worked in information services for the AMR Corporation, the parent company of America Airlines. He has an undergraduate degree from Tennessee Temple University, a Masters of Public Administration from the University of Tennessee, and has done post-graduate work in public affairs at Purdue University.
Scott is also an award-winning writer and television producer. This work focuses on food and the role it plays in both community and family. He has a syndicated weekly newspaper column and writes, produces, and appears on-air for WFYI Public Television in Indianapolis. His first book, Home Grown Indiana: A Food Lover's Guide to Good Eating in the Hoosier State will be released in July 2008 he is currently working on his second book. Scott and his wife Lisa reside in Lebanon, Indiana with their two sons, Henry and Oliver. More information about Scott is available at www.scotthutcheson.com.
