Latest news with #Niehoff
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Big investment building at WestGate
ODON— Westgate is on the edge of a wave that could result in billions of dollars in investment. The techpark, located in Daviess, Martin and Greene counties, has seen a flow of growth that includes construction in all three counties. Uplands Science and Technology Foundation is the center point for much of that development and recently hosted government leaders and local economic development heads to discuss what it happening. 'We are trying to make sure our local public officials are aware of the many projects that are underway at WestGate,' said USTF Executive Director Bryant Niehoff. 'It's a tri-county park. We want to make sure that those community leaders across county lines have an understanding on the projects taking part in the tech park as a whole.' Niehoff says that there is both ongoing and projected projects in all three counties right now that totals more than $500 million in investment. 'At Westgate, we have NHanced Semiconductors which is under construction and wrapping up. There's EC2 in Martin County that is a remodel of the old SIAC building. You have the Kratos facility and RCE, and CACI that will be starting this year,' he said. 'That's over $150 million in investment at WestGate. That doesn't include the munitions campus that is more than $350 million.' The munitions campus is tied to Crane, but not in the tech park. Officials say that when they add up all of the projects, plus those that are working through the proposal phase the investment potential climbs even higher. 'We are tracking more than $3.1 billion in projects at and around WestGate. It's unbelievable,' said Niehoff. With those additional facilities will come jobs. Most will require technical expertise, but many are expected to pay at least $80,000 per year before benefits. 'The projects we are actively tracking at WestGate will bring 1,500 jobs over the next six to seven years. Plus, what you are seeing at the munition's campus,' said Niehoff. 'That is a lot of jobs for our area. Where we are going to find the people, we are working on that. Workforce is at the top of every county's agenda. We have Ivy Tech, Purdue and IU working on it along with Regional Opportunities Initiative (ROI) and Radius and their defense incentive program. There is no silver bullet. It is going to take the efforts of all of the communities that border on Crane to improve housing and quality of place opportunities to attract good people.' The WestGate tech park is unique. It is the only one in the country that sits in three separate counties. Niehoff calls it a unique approach to development, and one that requires extra attention to work properly. 'We are conducting an experiment in regionalism and it is one of the most successful in the state and perhaps in the nation. We have brought these three rural counties together and now they compete for some of the best and most technological investments that are being made to assist the Navy in their mission,' said Niehoff. 'With so much going on and so much at stake communication between those leaders in the various counties is essential to making this experiment in regionalism work. We cannot leave anyone out of the loop, because when that happens the coalition is weakened.'
Boston Globe
20-04-2025
- Sport
- Boston Globe
Sunday Sitdown: Dr. Karissa Niehoff on her educational path from Marblehead to executive director of the NFHS
Advertisement 'She said, 'Hey Niehoff, grab a [field hockey] stick,'' as I was running by the field." Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Niehoff's extracurriculars had centered on equestrian, but with the family's move from Wellsville, N.Y. — prompted by the appointment of her father, Randall, as minister at Old North Church in town — the focus outside of the classroom became athletics (field hockey/basketball/track) and music (violin). She was a Globe All-Scholastic in field hockey as a senior (′83), and starred in the classroom too, earning entry to Brown University for one year before a financially-driven transfer to UMass to complete her degree and play field hockey. The teaching/coaching component began in 1989 at Greenwich (Conn.) High, with stops at Litchfield High and Joel Barlow, followed by administrative roles before running the state's athletic association (CIAC) for eight years. Advertisement Along the way, there was work with the US Olympic Committee's education committee and USA field hockey. In August 2018, Niehoff was hired as CEO of the national federation, the first female to hold the post. Before the arrival of state executive directors and legal counsel for the annual national summit this past week in Indianapolis, Niehoff chatted — equal parts enthusiasm and conviction — with the Globe about her journey, the current climate of high school athletics, and its future. Karissa Niehoff on the importance of high school athletics: "Sports is part of the overall growth puzzle, along with the arts, clubs, family, job, [the kids] are just growing up. And within the wins, and losses, are teachable moments." Images 2024 How important were your formative years, and early involvement in athletics? The strongest place that I was impacted was at Marblehead High. I had great influences. Deb Caulkins, my English teacher [who pointed her toward Brown] . . . Mike Thibodeau (basketball), and Susan Redfield (track) and Arthur Leavitt (track), who was also my Latin teacher. Coaches and teachers were everything to me. I owe everything to Marblehead High. That's my home. Related : In high school, and college was there ever a vision for this [kind of role]? I saw examples of kids not connected through club or sport. I wanted to give back to all the kids, not just the kids who have their path laid out for them, or that were lucky like me. I got the leadership bug, and then started saying 'yes' to opportunities. There is a simple person inside of me that will always be simple, and always focused on someone else's experience, whether they are a kid, a teacher, a coach, or a colleague. Related : What are the biggest challenges today? People have lost perspective of the high school experience, sports and the arts. Sports and the arts save lives. For some kids, it is their shot . . . The [Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association] and the associations in the other 49 states, are being challenged by people that are not trained in education-based experience. Upset people go to their [state] legislatures. We have to serve kids with equity in mind, and when academics are the priority. When people challenge state associations because of sports, we are losing the complete picture. Athletics are a privilege, not a right. If you are a good student, you get to try out for a team. Related : Advertisement At the college level, there are now NIL deals, and the transfer portal. What does it mean for high school and youth sports? Youth sports used to be formative in nature. They have become performative. And we have lost the mission of what high school sports should be about . . . 96 percent-plus of our kids in high school will not play in college, at Division 1, 2, or 3. So when we look at the high school experience, it's about going to the Friday night football game, or the basketball game in February when it is snowing outside, and the roads are being plowed. So why are we saying high school sports should be modeled after college sports? The schools that are the academies and the private schools, that pull out the elite athletes? Good. There are a handful of kids that are elite, and deserve that tract. But the great majority of our high school kids are kids. Sports is part of the overall growth puzzle, along with the arts, clubs, family, job. They are just growing up. And within the wins, and losses, are teachable moments . . . In college, those moments are professional now. Related : Advertisement With the challenges daily, are you still excited about the future? What gives you hope? The hope is that every year there is a new freshman class, and every year, there is a graduating class, and this is their year, their homecoming, their senior year, and the freshmen are watching that . . . Teachers and coaches choose to work with kids. There is fresh turnover every year, you congratulate seniors, and welcome wide-eyed freshman. We promise them an experience that is going to matter. That's what the MIAA owns. That's why they fight for regulations and bylaws, because of that 14-year-old. Because for the majority, it is probably the last competitive jersey they will wear.' Craig Larson can be reached at
