In a time of seemingly unprecedented change, it is more important than ever for Central Ohio to take a collaborative, thoughtful, regional approach to designing our future. The Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) revision provides an exciting opportunity to develop an updated blueprint for the region’s economic development priorities and strategies for the next five years.
CEDS Submission to EDA: April 30, 2027
CEDS Revision Requirement
As a U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA)-designated Economic Development District (EDD), MORPC has the responsibility of facilitating the update of region’s Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) every five years. Revising the CEDS is a collaborative process involving public and private economic development leaders across 11 counties of Central Ohio, subject matter experts on key issues from housing to workforce to energy, and public input to ground-truth the document’s content and direction.
Visit the Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy page for background about the 2021-2026 CEDS. For more information on MORPC’s EDD designation, visit the Economic Development page, and for more on comprehensive economic development strategies in general, visit the EDA’s website.
Central Ohio Economic Development District
CEDS Advisory Committee
- Carlie Boos, Affordable Housing Alliance of Central Ohio
- Tod Bowen, Building Industry Association of Central Ohio
- Bryan Clark, City of Columbus
- Rick Dunlop, Del-Co Water Company
- Caitlin Feldman, Groundwork Ohio
- Joe Flarida, Power a Clean Future Ohio
- Sally Gladwell, Mannik & Smith Group
- Jamie Greene, planning NEXT
- Rob Griffiths, The Ohio State University
- Matt Hill, Licking County Area Transportation Study (LCATS)
- Christie Hooks, USDA Rural Development
- Matthew Martin, Columbus Foundation
- Brittany Misner, Village of Hebron
- Zach Sunderland, Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA)
- Cherrelle Turner, Eastland-Fairfield Career & Technical Schools
- Maurice Woods, Columbus City Schools
CEDS Revision Process & Timeline
The revision process began in late 2025 and the final document is due to the EDA by April 30, 2027. The CEDS revision is organized around the quarterly CEDS Committee meetings and the four main sections of the CEDS document. At each meeting, the Committee provides feedback on one drafted section of the document and gives input on the next section to be developed. Public input is incorporated in the SWOT Assessment and during the Public Comment Period. Once the final document has been prepared, the CEDS Advisory Committee, MORPC Leadership, and the Economic Development District Board will approve the document before it is submitted to the EDA.
