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To fill posts vacated by three resignations, the Perry County Economic Development Authority is looking to younger people willing to help build a vibrant local economy.
"As we move forward with writing a broader economic plan for the county, we need a younger perspective," said Martha Roberts, authority president.
Over the past month, Rhonda Campbell, Gary Stouffer and James Lucas resigned from the board, just as the authority was ramping up its agribusiness initiatives and opening an office with the Perry County Chamber of Commerce in New Bloomfield.
Campbell also stepped down as director of the chamber at the end of April. She had been an authority board member since its reorganization in 2014.
She said she had intended to step down from the authority board in April, but others asked her to stay as public relations coordinator.
Campbell started work with the Capital Region Council of Governments in April and with her schedule wasn't able to make many authority meetings.
"I couldn't function the way I wanted because I wasn't at the meetings and was just responding to emails," Campbell said.
Lucas, on the board since last year, said he's excited to see how the authority and chamber direct future economic development, but his time was up. He had been on the authority's public relations committee.
"I felt my experience would help in that, but more recently I didn't feel that was the case, and so it was easier to step down and work on my own business."
Lucas is a structural engineer, designing homes and commercial buildings.
He whole-heartedly supports the authority's efforts to improve Perry County's economy.
"It's changing," he said. "The question is, do you try to control that change, or let it happen organically? And you never know what that will bring."
Stouffer had been on the board the longest.
"Gary deserves a medal," Roberts said. "He was on the board since 1996. He always said once it was doing well, he'd step down."
She said she's sad to see him go because he was always a wealth of information.
The board is aggressively seeking to fill the vacancies, Roberts said. Its existing membership tends to be older and is active with many other organizations.
The board includes Frank Campbell, Morgan Tressler, Charlie Garner, John Gerner, Brian Peters, Paul Rudy, Stephen Peters Sr., Russ Hoover, Rich Pluta, James Fuller, Dawn Lowe, Pat Patterson and Patti McLaughlin.
The board is seeking younger people, including small business owners and professionals, and young farmers. Young families would offer a fresh perspective on free time, needs in the county, and how people spend discretionary income.
 "What we're doing is laying a foundation for the future."
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