By: Ryan Duey

Photo Courtesy of NCRPC

The North Central Regional Planning Commission (NCRPC) announced that Deb Carlson Ohlde was appointed as the new executive director at the beginning of the month.

NCRPC serves the counties of Clay, Cloud, Republic, Washington, Marshall, Dickinson, Ottawa, and more. The Commission offers a wide variety of programs and services, addressing the specific needs of each city, county, nonprofit, and rural utility.  

Ohlde first joined NCRPC back in 1994, working in various roles for the commission, holding the role of assistant director through 2016. Ohlde is excited to serve in this role.

“I’m very excited to be able to have the opportunity to serve in this regard for the region. It’s an exciting time for us to continue to provide service to our city and county members, and also nonprofits in the region.”

“I’m just looking forward to all the things that I know we can do going forward. Our staff is very solid, and we are able to stand ready and able to assist with projects and activities in a vibrant region that has, I believe, a very bright future.”

Ohlde has been working to get herself out into the communities they serve to introduce herself, building relationships with county and city leaders. She said they are working on managing the evolving changes in funding.

“Like many agencies similar to us right now, we’re managing some of the changes that are coming down, especially at the federal level, with funding.”

“We are navigating how we will make adjustments in order to either fill gaps that might be created, or just take advantage of new opportunities that could possibly present themselves.”

Ohlde said a long-term goal on NCRPC is to look into adding and expanding services to the communities they serve. To learn more about NCRPC and how they support the rural communities they serve, visit their website.