Names in the News: Jim Doutt

Name: James Doutt

Occupation:

Hometown: Medina

Favorite thing about his job: “Economic development is my passion. It’s my wheelhouse, so to speak. The thing I like most about it is the work of economic development is never done. It’s evolving every day.”

Proudest accomplishment: His creation of the Medina County University Center. The center — the county’s first brick-and-mortar university presence — is funded solely through grants and contributions, he added. “I hope it will be there for generations to come.”

Why he went into his field: "I’m a people person and economic development is very much a people business,” he said. “And it gives me an opportunity to give back because what it’s all about — the bottom line of economic development is creating jobs. You’re helping families because you’re providing valuable employment for individuals who have families to support. That’s as basic as it gets."

One thing you may not have known: Doutt is a lifelong Indians fan, and one of his favorite things to do — if he’s not at the game — is to listen to it on the radio, as opposed to watching it on TV.