ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Friday, March 28, 1997 TAG: 9703280033
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-1 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
DATELINE: CHRISTIANSBURG
SOURCE: KATHY LOAN THE ROANOKE TIMES
The field of candidates to become Montgomery County's first full-time economic development director has been whittled to eight.
New County Administrator Jeff Johnson selected the eight from 27 applicants who applied by the March 14 deadline. He said he hopes to have the new person on the job by May 1.
Don Moore, the county's part-time economic director for 71/2 years, resigned in February to step into the private sector where he will help set up and run the New River Valley office of Hall Associates, a Roanoke-based commercial and industrial realty firm.
Johnson said the eight semifinalists come from Virginia, West Virginia, Alabama, Ohio, Kentucky and Texas.
Johnson asked a subcommittee of county and regional economic development groups to review the resumes and submit their preferences by Wednesday.
The review team members are Ray Smoot, Virginia Tech's vice president for finance and president of a community development corporation representing Montgomery County and its two towns; Hap Bonham, an associate dean in Tech's business school and the county's Economic Development Commission chairman; and David Shanks, chairman of the Industrial Development Authority.
Once Johnson receives the rankings, he will do some initial telephone interviews before scheduling interviews here, he said.
The day-to-day operations of the county's economic development office are being run by Tina Deatherage, marketing and research associate, and Brian Hamilton, product development and financing associate. The two are reviewing with Johnson prospective corporate clients who come looking for a site in the county and forwarding them, when appropriate, to the New River Valley Economic Development Alliance.
Monday, the Board of Supervisors voted to set the economic development director's salary at $51,119. Moore was paid $35,924 yearly for his part-time 30-hour position.
Danny Hardy, president of the New River Valley Economic Development Alliance, said he's happy to see the position become full-time.
"I think it's very much needed. I think [Don] Moore has done an excellent job," Hardy said. "The alliance looks forward to having a full-time partner. Don Moore was the most full-time part-timer I've ever seen. Montgomery County got all kinds of benefits from his 'part-time.'"
Hardy's wife, Ann Hardy, is an administrative assistant with the county's economic development office.
With the Falling Branch Industrial Park, the Christiansburg Industrial Park and the potential for expansion of the Blacksburg Industrial Park, economic development is of vital importance both to Montgomery County and the New River Valley, said Danny Hardy.
With Virginia Tech a major presence in the region, "it's only reasonable to expect ... that continued economic development through the expansion of technology is going to increase," he said.
With the quality of life the region has to offer and with Tech and its ancillary businesses, "we don't have to have the belching smokestack industry. We can promote clean industry such as wireless technology, fiber optics, biomedical technology through the veterinarian center [the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine]. By having an in-house, full-time economic director and having that person at the level they're seeking, we can go for the cream of the crop."
LENGTH: Medium: 65 linesby CNB