Economic Development Commission Summer Intern Program

1. Program Overview:

Northumberland County, Virginia is a rural county located where the Potomac River flows into the Chesapeake Bay.  As such, it is blessed with the largest shoreline in Virginia and growing fishing, agriculture, and tourism industries.  But we can do better.

The Northumberland County Board of Supervisors has tasked the county’s Economic Development Commission (EDC) with developing a strategy and plans to determine where further growth potential lies and how to exploit it.

The EDC comprises five commissioners appointed by the Board of Supervisors and supported by an Executive Director and the County administrators. The EDC operates within the framework of a strategic plan to retain and expand businesses and industries throughout the county and enhance economic activities to benefit all businesses and citizens.

EDC is offering un-compensated summer intern programs for college students seeking to utilize their skills and earn endorsement for their pursued college degree.  EDC is in the process of updating the strategic plan. We are looking for a candidate with a multidisciplinary set of skills  to assist in the research and formulation of business and marketing strategies for the County.

The benefit to an applicant is to gain real-world experience, apply area of theories, concepts, and practices from your studies to County-wide programs, and interact with a fun group of people who bring a wide variety of interesting backgrounds to the work of the EDC.

2. Program Details:

1. Duration: This program will remain open all summer, for a minimum of eight weeks, with flexible start and end dates tailored to the EDC and candidates’ needs.
2. Time Commitment: This is a part time, volunteer program.
3. Reporting relationship:  The intern will report with the Executive Director for Economic Development.
4. Location: Students can work from home but must attend virtual meetings and attend at least one EDC meeting in person.
5. Compensation: This is voluntary.
6. Eligibility: Be a rising college junior seeking degrees in statistics, analytics, marketing, business, government, or combinations thereof.

3. Intern Responsibilities:

1. You will work with EDC and review and provide input into the draft goals of the strategic plan.
2. Utilizing the techniques and theories you learned through your studies:

• Formulate a plan and define how you will apply your skill set to assist in our goals.
• Identify marketing strategies to support EDC goals.
• Conduct research and analyze county statistics to assist in providing informed strategies.
• Provide a report of your activities and findings at the end of your intern program to the Executive Director and the EDC.