Beste excited to serve as director, lead efforts in community
By HOLLY GASKILL
Jessica Beste has hit the ground running as Wells County’s economic development director.
The role is not new, but is new to the local government. Consequently, Beste’s navigating both carried-over responsibilities and the weight of leading an entirely new government department.
While no small task, Beste finds herself well-suited for all that entails.
“I’m a problem solver, so I definitely want to sit down and figure out some things that have and haven’t worked really well in the past, and I want to find out why,” Beste said.
Beste, originally from Los Angeles, attended college at Indiana State University. She then married classmate and Uniondale native Matt Beste, and the couple moved home to Wells County to raise their family in 2007. They now have three boys, Axton, Riker and Cade, who attend Bluffton-Harrison schools.
With a degree in business administration, Beste started as a loan officer with Markle State Bank before transitioning to work as a mortgage loan officer. She most recently worked as a broker for Stockton Mortgage in Bluffton.
In addition to working with businesses through her previous vocation, Beste has worked closely with the Wells County Chamber of Commerce, which used to partner with the county, city and the county’s incoporated towns to oversee the county’s Economic Development Commission. Wells County has been without a director of economic development since Chad Kline’s resignation from the Chamber in April.
Because of her experience, Beste said elected officials who thought she could be a good fit approached her about the role.
“I looked at that job description and just saw the possibilities,” Beste said. “And we had a pretty big hole here without somebody filling that position. I just thought this might be a sign, this might be something that I need to do. I do have a lot of connections with people, (and I) have a good business background. That’s really where my heart is.”
She began as director in late October, kicking off with a conference in Indianapolis that provided a wealth of onboarding information for the role. Since then, she’s begun tackling introductions with local businesses, re-evaluating potential sites and rebuilding local economic development efforts.
Beste said one of her biggest priorities is to “rebuild” the connection with the Chamber. “Business retention is critical,” she said. “And I think our collaboration efforts will be massive … They are the retention arm of economic development. They’re a huge factor in how successful a county is.”
Although Beste also finds a “growth mindset” in the community, she hopes to help unify efforts for that growth. As part of this, Beste has initiated efforts to make sure “shovel-ready” sites are advertised for prospective developments.
Beste plans to leverage the county’s existing partnerships — like those with the Chamber, Ivy Tech Community College and Make My Move — in attracting new businesses. Beste also wants to continue support for local amenities, particularly the construction of a new Wells Community Pool.
Meanwhile, Beste finds retaining Wells County youth is one of the biggest threats to the community. She plans to involve students in economic development, intending to assess their wants and involve them in community efforts. Beste said “we owe our youth” the opportunity to get involved in the community and show them a future here.
With this, Beste wants to continue to assess area housing and utility needs. While The Veridus Group conducted a housing study in 2023, Beste questioned whether the sample was representative of the community’s desires, particularly among younger people.
In economic development efforts at large, Beste finds a gap between what the community wants and the decisions made. Beste hopes to stir more public engagement through surveys, forums and relationships with community stakeholders.
“They (the public) have opinions, and we just don’t get to hear them until a decision has been made,” Beste said. “And then, usually you don’t hear all the best (feedback) upfront. I’ve been a part of that where I’m like, ‘Wait. What’s happening?’ So the challenge is getting the right people in the right room at the right time.”
Above all, Beste is excited to impact and serve a community she loves.
“People really are a community here, really, truly,” Beste said. “I know that sounds a little bit cheesy, but it just is. Everyone knows you and they care about you, and they find a way to help you when you need it … That’s not something I grew up with. I did not know it existed until I moved to Wells … and honestly, it’s the right place to be.”
The new economic development initiative is a combined effort of Wells County, the city of Bluffton, and the town of Ossian governments, but Beste’s role is technically housed under the office of Bluffton’s mayor. There is no interlocal agreement outlining the partnership yet; the county commissioners have reported that the county’s and Bluffton’s attorneys have been working on a draft.
Commissioner Jeff Stringer said the initial agreement will be “short term,” with a long-term agreement for the structure of economic efforts to follow.
holly@news-banner.com
