James W. Becker

Community Development Educator UIUC Extension

University of Illinois Extension
4112 N. Water Tower Place
Mount Vernon, IL 62864
Phone: 618 242-9310
E-mail: jwbecker@uiuc.edu

Area of Interest

I am interested primarily in the economic impacts of our aging population, particularly in Southern Illinois where the problems for rural communities are and will become more pronounced than in areas with more resources. I am interested in creating collaborations to examine the current economic impact of our retirement population and the potential for work on retaining and attracting more retirees and necessary infrastructure to support them. Southern Illinois has a moderate climate, recreation and in some instances excellent medical facilities. There are some excellent opportunities for communities in Southern Illinois.We need to build regional and statewide networks to help communities do a better job of caring for and developing better support networks for our aging population. Research alone will not solve the problems, application of practical research and interaction with communities and state agencies will be a necessity.

Publications

The Economics of Aging, Southern, Illinois Business Journal, January 15, 2003

Aging Population Creates Opportunities and Challenges, Southern Illinois Business Journal, April 15, 2003

Keywords

Economic impact, human and community development