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NNDS bringing sales and service departments to East Liverpool
May 16, 2008By JO ANN BOBBY GILBERT, Morning Journal
(caption) Bryan Bown, director of educational services for National Network of Digital Schools (left) discusses a new enterprise coming to East Liverpool with (from left) Joe Good, of Kent State University; Tom Wycoff, owner of the East Liverpool Motor Lodge; and Mayor Jim Swoger.
EAST LIVERPOOL — What better place to announce a new business coming to town than during a presentation on downtown entrepreneurship?
That was the case Thursday as the East Liverpool Area Chamber of Commerce announced a nationwide education foundation will be locating in the downtown.
The announcement came during the second day of a two-day presentation by Chuck D’Aprix, a principal with economic development visions out of Washington, D.C., who outlined his ideas on downtowns “growing” their own entrepreneurs.
About 20 staffers with the Lincoln Interactive sales and services departments of National Network of Digital Schools (NNDS), as well as NNDS executive officers, are currently in the process of relocating to the Potters Savings Building, 519 Broadway, owned by architect Scott Shepherd.
The offices were formerly used by Buckeye On-line School for Success (BOSS), which happens to be the second-largest client of NNDS.
The on-line school’s operations have relocated to the former Sky Bank data processing center on Fifth Street which Huntington Bank announced six months ago would be vacated.
Shepherd said that, in the past, such an announcement would have been a “back breaker for the town,” but then BOSS decided to locate to the building.
Shepherd admitted it was bittersweet decision for him, since BOSS had been a “great tenant” for him but it was a good move for the school to go to the processing center building.
“Now, we’ve found a replacement for BOSS in our building,” he said, adding that NNDS is bringing “the kinds of jobs we need in East Liverpool.”
Lincoln Interactive is the nation’s premier digital curriculum, used by more than 50 schools in six states. The curriculum is solely owned and operated by NNDS, based in Beaver, Pa.
Personnel in the local office will serve client schools and students nationwide, and Bryan Bown, director of educational services, said, “We are becoming national and international and, as such, we will bring clients here, to East Liverpool.”
Some of the innovative course offerings from Lincoln Interactive include science courses involving stem cell research and epidemiology; 16 world languages, including Italian, Mandarin Chinese and Arabic; an online video adventure game designed as part of high school curriculum; and a kindergarten program incorporating animated characters.
The relocation will be complete within a month.
During his talk Thursday morning at Crockery City Cafe, D’Aprix reiterated what he had told a group the previous night about his view of the city, reiterating his recommendation it apply to become a Main Street community.