Published: July 01, 2009 07:56 pm      

JCDC elects new officers

By TESA CULLI

tesa.culli@register-news.com

MT. VERNON — A new board will be working to bring economic development into Jefferson County, as the Jefferson County Development Corporation elected new board members and officers.

Chosen as the new president of JCDC is Roy Schmidt, who will be replacing Leo Childers, who resigned from the board.

“Leo was a great board member and president,” JCDC Executive Director Mary Ellen Bechtel said. “His dedication and service was appreciated by all of us. Leo is going to remain on the Workforce Development Committee and is also a JCDC partner. We feel fortunate that Mike Warren, president of St. Mary’s Good Samaritan Hospital, has accepted an appointment to the board to serve the remaining term.”

Sharon Bradham has been chosen as vice president, Rex Cusumano will serve as secretary and Hunt Bonan as the treasurer. Officers are elected to one year terms and the number of terms they can serve is limited by their board seat term.

Board members being elected to a second term, which is slated to end in April 2012 are Bonan, representing banking/finance and insurance; Bradham, representing cultural groups ; Ron Lash, representing the faith based community; Hank Villani as legal counsel; Rex Cusumano for the manufacturing/distribution sector; and Lawrence Beal representing transportation.

“Two seats were added to the board,” Bechtel reported. “A second healthcare seat and an energy seat. These seats will be filled at a later date.”

The JCDC is entering its fourth year of operation. The JCDC was created on May 1, 2006, after the city commissioned a study by Prager Consulting Group in 2005 to identify the best way to promote development. The study found a combination of industry, economic development, non-profit organizations, communications and government representatives working together on a board would be the best way to attract development.