The Economic Task Force has selected a former Ohio Department of Development staffer as the economic recovery coordinator for Clinton, Highland and Fayette counties as the tri-county tries to rebound from the disintegration of thousands of jobs at the DHL Air Park.

Rafeal Underwood will work in the tri-county area under a federally funded one-year contract. Beginning work in January, Underwood will author a comprehensive economic development strategy (CEDS) for Clinton County that will extend into Highland and Fayette counties.

Underwood previously has worked on and compiled CEDS plans for the Economic Development Administration of the U.S. Department of Commerce.

He has worked on CEDS plans for Mansfield, as well as for a city near Atlanta, said Christian Schock, a member of a committee that conducted the search for an economic recovery coordinator. Underwood also worked in economic development for a town outside Minneapolis, and was an economic growth specialist with the Ohio Department of Development for about eight years, said Schock.

Schock said Underwood is “a great candidate” with good contacts, and possesses a knowledge of Ohio, of funding sources and of the Economic Development Administration.

“We expect Underwood to hit the ground running,” Schock said.

Underwood is assigned to complete a CEDS plan for Clinton County by the end of March 2009.

The Clinton County CEDS document will highlight potential projects for Economic Development Administration funding.

“That’s the way the Economic Development Administration operates — they award funds for projects that are highlighted within an approved CEDS plan,” Schock said Wednesday.

Usually an approved project pertains to infrastructure projects that are expected to be conducive to economic growth. Infrastructure refers to the basic physical structures and facilities such as buildings, roads and power supplies that are needed to run an enterprise.

Underwood will focus on types of projects that are anticipated to hold the biggest bang for the buck and are most likely to attract business investment and have a significant impact, according to Schock.

Although sometimes strategic plans for communities are infamous for sitting on a shelf and collecting dust, a CEDS document almost certainly will lead to an infrastructure improvement project, Schock said.

“The Economic Development Administration is very project focused and they want to see a project done here. The assistant undersecretary of the Department of Commerce was in Wilmington and knows the situation intimately and the regional folks at the Economic Development Administration totally understand the importance of getting a project on the ground as soon as possible,” said Schock.

Schock is “quite sure” the local area will get funds for an infrastructure project.

“While it won’t fix all the problems, it is an important move by the federal government to start addressing the situation pro-actively,” added Schock.

Public hearings to gather input and ideas for possible projects will be held.

In addition to Schock, the Economic Recovery Office Advisory Committee members are Wilmington Mayor David Raizk, Clinton County Commissioner David Stewart, Highland County Commissioner Gary Heaton, Fayette County Commissioner Tony Anderson, Highland County Economic Development Director Dan Cowdrey and Ohio Valley Regional Development Commission Executive Director John Hemmings.