Turning Data Into Community Conversation
As major investments continue to shape the future of New Carlisle and St. Joseph County, community leaders are looking for ways to better understand and communicate how that growth impacts residents, infrastructure, and quality of life.
To support that effort, the St. Joseph County Division of Economic Development partnered with enFocus to create the Economic Impact Assessment Dashboard, a public-facing tool designed to bring key community data into one accessible place.
The project was led by Executive Director Bill Schalliol, alongside enFocus Project Manager Matthew Barker and Innovation Fellow Gladys Jordana. Over the course of several months, the team worked with local and regional partners to identify the information that would be most valuable for tracking change across the region.
Organizations including New Prairie Schools, the New Carlisle› Fire Department, ChoiceLight, MACOG, the Indiana Association of Realtors, Cedar-Dalton Municipal Advisors, and additional county and state partners contributed insight throughout the process. Together, they helped shape a framework that measures trends across 11 major sectors connected to community growth and development.
While large-scale economic development often sparks questions about infrastructure, housing, transportation, and public services, the dashboard was created to encourage more informed and productive conversations around those topics.
“Clarity is important to productive conversation. We can better understand what’s working, identify challenges that need attention, and celebrate progress together.”
The dashboard is now publicly available through St. Joseph County and was intentionally designed to grow alongside the region. As additional investments and projects emerge, new communities and datasets can be incorporated into the platform over time.
At its core, the project reflects the power of collaboration, bringing together public organizations, community stakeholders, and data-driven problem-solving to help Northern Indiana prepare for the future transparently and thoughtfully.
You can learn more about the project in WNDU’s coverage of the dashboard and redevelopment initiatives.
