Champaign County’s new economic development agency, the Champaign Economic Partnership (CEP), will host a public open house from 2-6 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 10. The open house will be in the new CEP office, 3 Monument Square, Urbana, at the side entrance of Security National Bank, on the northeast corner of the square.

The CEP began operation as Champaign County’s sole economic development agency in July. The CEP is a partnership of the Community Improvement Corporation of Champaign County, private business and local government.

Marcia Bailey, formerly economic development coordinator for the City of Urbana, serves at the CEP’s economic development director. Bailey, CEP Administrative Assistant Rachel Lewis and members of the CEP’s 18-member Board of Trustees will be at the open house to answer guests’ questions about the CEP’s role in promoting retention and expansion of existing businesses, jobs creation and attraction of new business development in the county.

Michael Family Farms President Todd Michael serves as CEP president; North Lewisburg Village Administrator Andy Yoder serves as vice president; and Urbana Civista Bank Vice President Bill Heitman serves as treasurer. The board is composed of at least 60 percent private business representation and no more than 40 percent government (city, county, village and township) representation.

The CEP is funded by Champaign County, the City of Urbana and private sponsors, Pioneer Electric Cooperative and Dayton Power & Light. Security National Bank supports the CEP as an in-kind sponsor, and additional private sponsors are being recruited to advance the agency’s economic development mission.

For more information about the CEP, visit the new CEP website, cepohio.com.