ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, March 28, 1996 TAG: 9603280039
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-1 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
DATELINE: DUBLIN
SOURCE: ELISSA MILENKY STAFF WRITER
A director for the New River Valley Economic Development Alliance will be named early next week, said Barry Evans, president of the organization.
Six finalists have been chosen from a pool of 70 applicants, 26 of whom hail from Virginia, Evans said Wednesday. The announcement next week would end a search for a new director, which began when Franklyn Moreno left the post in August to start his own consulting business.
Applications, which were accepted until January, have come from as far away as Alaska and Florida.
Evans would release few details about the application process, saying only "at this point, we have narrowed it down to six finalists pending details to be worked out."
One of those top choices is Pulaski County businessman Hiawatha Nicely, a private business consultant. Nicely, a former executive vice president at Magnox Inc. in Pulaski, would not comment on the possibility, nor would Evans.
"There is a consensus possibly, but it's not fact, not until Monday," Evans said.
The alliance is a nonprofit regional marketing agency formed to bring industry to the New River Valley and serve as a research and information center. Montgomery, Pulaski, Floyd and Giles counties and the city of Radford all contribute to the organization.
Frank Crockett, a certified economic developer with American Electric Power Co., has been serving as interim director since Moreno left and has helped in the search to fill the position. Moreno left just as his contract expired last summer, mainly because the job description was being changed.
Evans has said changes in the alliance will go beyond the director's job description and into improved communication and a larger executive board.
LENGTH: Short : 41 linesby CNB