Jason Hester, CEcD (jhester@columbusin.org)
Executive Director
Jason Hester brings more than a decade of local and state-level economic development experience to the Columbus Economic Development Board. Before joining the EDB, Jason served as the central region director for the Indiana Economic Development Corporation, where he led business attraction and expansion efforts in the state’s largest region. Over three and one-half years, he and his team successfully closed more than 220 competitive projects, calling for $5.1 billion in new capital investment and the creation of 38,000 new jobs.
Prior to his work for the IEDC, Jason served locally in two different communities. In Elwood, Indiana, he served simultaneously as the City’s economic development director and the Chamber of Commerce executive director from 2000-2003, and in 2003 his efforts helped Elwood win the Community Achievement Award given by the Indiana Association of Cities and Towns. Next, he worked as the development director for the City of Kokomo from 2004-2007, where the community’s many partners initiated a coordinated strategic plan resulting in significant employment gains and an improved quality of life for its residents.
A native Hoosier, Jason obtained his MBA from Indiana Wesleyan University in 2001 and a BA degree with honors from Oral Roberts University (Tulsa, OK) in 1996, majoring in International Community Development. Jason is also a graduate of the Economic Development Institute of the University of Oklahoma, and in 2004 he earned the coveted Certified Economic Developer (CEcD) designation given by the International Economic Development Council. He and his wife, Candace, have been married for 17 years and reside in Columbus with their three children.
Pat Wilson (patwilson@columbusin.org)
Office Administrator
Pat Wilson worked in the manufacturing industry for 30 years and in government for 6 years prior to joining the Economic Development Board staff. Pat serves on the Advisory Board for the Ivy Tech Business and Administrative Programs and is Secretary of the local chapter of the International Association of Administrative Professionals. Pat works closely with the Economic Development Board Executive Director, Executive Committee, Board of Directors, government officials and community leaders. Pat researches and publishes the Community Audit, a publication of everything you ever wanted to know about the Columbus area. The Community Audit is published every two years and received the "Excellent" award from the Mid-America Economic Development Council. Pat also publishes the Wage and Benefit Survey which is a very important and useful tool for local businesses in measuring their competitiveness in wages, rates and benefits.