The vision of Jamestown/Stutsman Development Corporation is to be the premier catalyst in economic development and growing our community. The JSDC is the heart of growth for Jamestown and Stutsman County. Staying up to date with projects and always looking for new ways to grow Jamestown and Stutsman County, the crew at JSDC has their pulse on the community as it relates to business and industry. Connie Ova, CEO of JSDC, explained how the organization participates in various state and local programs and meetings to stay in touch with opportunities for funding that would benefit current and potential businesses in Jamestown. A program to support workforce recruitment that they recently joined is the ND Career Builders Scholarship & Loan Repayment Program. Employers can utilize this program to recruit talented employees by matching state dollars. The JSDC also focuses on economic development programs, Spiritwood Energy Park, Airport Business Park, housing, and community development.
In order to keep up with the ever-changing landscape of business and technology, Connie said a majority of the work JSDC does is online. They are constantly keeping their own website- www.growingjamestown.com- up to date with the latest news and information, as well as researching trends and news around the state and nation. Having a strong web presence is one of JSDC’s top priorities, according to Connie. “Research has shown that 60% of people that contact economic development departments find them online first,” she explained. If that’s where most people get their first impression of Jamestown, they want to make sure it is positive and informative.
Earlier this year when the COVID-19 pandemic caused other establishments to close by order of the state, JDSC’s board of directors made the decision to err on the side of caution and close their office as well. This meant that Connie and her staff needed to set up a work-from-home solution that would enable them all to do their job from home. To maintain their online presence while not physically in the office, the staff at JSDC needed a safe and reliable broadband connection that would also help them stay connected with each other.
That’s where we come in. Dakota Central installed a Managed VPN Firewall system for JSDC, which gives them a secure connection back to the office with encryption, along with three SSL certificates allowing their staff to connect to their office desktop from home. Included with the Managed Firewall service is the Advanced Gateway Security Suite, which will stop virus’s spyware, and other security threats before they enter your network with comprehensive network protection. This is essential when using a VPN connection to ensure your network is secure.
Connie mentioned that getting the VPN service set up helped them create a telecommuting policy for emergency situations, like inclement weather or health-related situations. “In the future it will be easier for our staff to work from home if needed, now that the technology is in place,” said Connie.
As the JSDC continues to recruit and support local businesses and industry, we will make sure they are connected, and their network is secure. As a local business ourselves, Dakota Central appreciates JSDC’s commitment to growing Jamestown!
