Category: Rural

Appalachian Partnership

The Appalachian Partnership, Inc. was incorporated in 2011 by a group of business leaders that had been meeting for several years to discuss how businesses in the 32 Appalachian Counties of Ohio could organize to improve the region’s economic prosperity. The impetus for incorporating at that specific time was the need for a business-led regional partner organization in Appalachian Ohio to work with JobsOhio, the state’s newly formed privatized economic development system.

John Molinaro

HRS recruited John Molinaro, a Washington, DC based rural economic development professional, in 2012 to lead this start-up organization. During his tenure, John and API have helped spur the creation of over 6,100 new jobs in a predominately rural region. As the founding President, John Molinaro, has become a recognized thought leader in the field of rural development and the implementation of the Wealth Creation Model which builds upon a regional natural resource supply chain.

API has grown into a multi-organizational entity with three subsidiaries for which it provides administrative services and serves as employer of record. Appalachian Partnership for Economic Growth, LLC (APEG) serves as the JobsOhio partner for the region. Appalachian Growth Capital, LLC (AGC) is a Community Development Financial Institution that does small business lending. Appalachian Wood Products, LLC (AWP) is a taxable nonprofit that generates advertising revenue from the supply chain database developed by API’s wood and forest products cluster initiative. Molinaro currently serves as CEO of API, AGC and AWP, and served as CEO of APEG until 2017, when its growth required naming a full-time CEO. A fourth subsidiary is under consideration to develop real estate for commercial and industrial development.

Appalachian Regional Commission

The Appalachian Regional Commission’s (ARC) mission is to innovate, partner, and invest to build community capacity and strengthen economic growth in Appalachia. The ARC is a regional economic development agency that represents a partnership of federal, state, and local government. Established by an act of Congress in 1965, ARC is composed of the governors of the 13 Appalachian states and a federal co-chair, who is appointed by the president. Local participation is provided through multi-county local development districts. The thirteen states that comprise ARC are: Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, Mississippi, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia.

Scott Hamilton

HRS recruited Scott Hamilton, an economic development professional from North Carolina, in 2014 to serve as the Executive Director. During his tenure, he led a staff of more than 55 to invest nearly $675 million to support education and workforce training, highway construction, water and sewer system construction, leadership development, small business start-ups and expansions, energy and health. HRS also recruited ARC’s Inspector General and other senior project directors involved in business and entrepreneurship.

Scott was recruited by the Golden Leaf Foundation in 2019 to serve as President and CEO.

Keystone Initiative for Network Based Education & Research

Wendy Huntoon

The Keystone Initiative for Network Based Education & Research (KINBER) is a technology-based economic development (TBED) partner providing network-based technology services and community services to institutions across Pennsylvania. As Pennsylvania’s statewide research and education network, KINBER offers broadband network connectivity to the statewide backbone call PennREN for organizations across a range of institutions including education, research, healthcare, library, public media, state and local government, non-profits and for-profit communities. The PennREN network is a world-class high-speed, broadband network spanning 1800+ miles across the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and seeks to improve the quality of life and contribute to the vibrancy, sustainability and economic stability of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

HRS recruited Gwendolyn “Wendy” Huntoon in 2014 to serve as the President & CEO. During her 5-year plus tenure, Wendy expanded KINBER’s PennREN network, grew the number of connections, expanded service offerings, and enhanced support for research and education throughout the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Following her departure, Wendy will continue to work with KINBER as a consultant.

Penn-Northwest

Randy Seitz

Penn-Northwest’s mission is to attract new business and industrial investment, provide outreach and retention services to support the retention and expansion of value-added business and industry, and provide coordination and support services for economic development in the rural Mercer County, PA region.

HRS recruited Randy Seitz to serve at the President and CEO in 2012. During his tenure, Randy has led the planning and execution of economic development strategies that have identified and acquired new business opportunities across a wide variety of sectors including business and professional services, health services, manufacturing and machine technology, oil and gas and distribution and logistics.

Randy conceptualized the multi-platform “Program of Work” marketing campaign that increased awareness of Mercer County to boost economic development programs and investments in job growth initiatives. Randy collaborated with distinguished oil and gas companies including Range Resources, Chesapeake and Shell to leverage the Marcellus and Utica Gas Play for new business presences. To date, Penn-Northwest, under Randy’s leadership, has delivered over $244.9M in capital investments with 1,327 new employment positions, and facilitated local industries in expanding operational capabilities to produce $281M in capital investments, creating more than 1,061 new jobs and retaining 3,178 positions since 2012.

During Randy’s tenure, Penn-Northwest implemented a strategic planning initiative and new process structures that increased total revenue 104% and reduced operating expenses which balanced inherited deficits in under five years.

Roanoke Regional Chamber

Joyce Waugh

The Roanoke Regional Chamber fosters the growth of our members and our community by offering relevant programs and events designed to address business needs, solve business problems and increase opportunities for members. The Chamber promotes regional business by providing invaluable referrals and connections and influencing public policy to benefit all businesses. The Roanoke Regional Chamber believes that if something impacts your business and the growth and success of our region, It’s Our Business too. The Chamber was founded in 1889 and represents more than 850 businesses with over 75,000 employees and an estimated payroll of more than $1.5 billion.

HRS recruited Joyce Waugh in 2008 to serve as the President and CEO. Previously, Joyce had served with the Chamber in several leadership positions since 2000. During her tenure as President, Joyce has been a champion for business, especially small business, throughout the Roanoke Region. Joyce was instrumental in the creation of the Chamber’s Entrepeneurial Center which works collaboratively with the Roanoke Regional Small Business Development Center.

Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission

The Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission (SPC) is the regional planning agency serving the 10-county Southwestern Pennsylvania region. As the official Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO), SPC directs the use of state and federal transportation and economic development funds allocated to the region. SPC helps counties, cities, municipalities, and townships use federal transportation funds in a timely way. SPC is also the region’s designated Local Development District and Economic Development District by the Appalachian Regional Commission and the US Department of Commerce. In this role, SPC establishes regional economic development priorities and provides a wide range of services to the region.

Jim Hassinger

HRS recruited Jim Hassinger, Ph.D. from Charlotte, NC in 2001 to serve as the Executive Director/President & CEO. During his 18-year tenure with SPC, Jim initiated the first ever regional stakeholder “listening sessions” with large public meetings throughout the region broadcast simultaneously on videoconference to gather critical insights in support of regional planning. Under his leadership, the SPC was recognized as one of the premier Councils of Government (COG) in the United States. Jim served on the board of the National Association of Regional Councils (NARC) in Washington, DC, and served as Chair of its Executive Directors Council. He also served as Chair of the Regional and Intergovernmental Planning Division of the American Planning Association.