THE Belmont County Department of Development / Community Improvement Corp. has a new associate director.
Sue Douglass, a Belmont County native, was named to the position, according to an announcement by Terry Lee, board president. Lee said Douglass has been hired to fill the role of associate director due to the resignation of Jason Stanford, former assistant director. He is leaving the area for a new position in the state.
“Sue will be extremely beneficial to Belmont County,” Lee said. “We have high hopes for her and are confident she has what it takes to move the county forward.”
“This an exciting opportunity. It is a privilege to serve with the CIC in meeting the challenges facing Belmont County’s economic development,” Douglass said.
Douglass will begin her duties immediately. The DOD/CIC has enlisted the assistance of the Ohio Mid-Eastern Governments Association. Donald R. Myers, former director of the Belmont County Department of Development, is the executive director of OMEGA.
Douglass earned a bachelor of science degree in elementary education from Ohio University and a master of science degree in public administration from the University of Dayton. She was a teacher at St. Joseph Central, Wolfhurst, and at Union Local Elementary School, Morristown.
The new associate director was instrumental in obtaining grant funding for the rehabilitation of the historic1828 Blaine Bridge. She was on the steering committee for Greater Ohio, a statewide economic growth initiative, and was an officer and member of the Ohio National Road Association.
Douglass also is the founder and director of the Eastern Ohio Leadership Council, a nonprofit nonpartisan local group focusing on leadership models and building community connections.
A native of Blaine, Douglass has received many honors, and among them is the coveted the Liberty Bell Award which she received from the Belmont County Bar Association.
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Many communities would take one look at the excellent transportation options that Belmont County enjoys and decide to use them to target manufacturing, warehousing, distribution, and other businesses that depend on their ability to "move the goods," quickly and economically.
Belmont County development officials have certainly done that - but they've also recognized that a good transportation system can do more than just move products. It also provides a great opportunity to move people.
The result: a vibrant, diverse local ecomony, based not just on traditional industries such as manufacturing and distribution, but also on a strong and growing retail sector. The county, in fact, has become a "retail power center," drawing tens of thousands of shoppers each week from the nearby three-state region, adding a strong new dimension to the business community.
