The Jefferson County Development Authority (JCDA) has completed a four-year strategic plan that will guide JCDA leaders in creating a sustainable organization and economic development program for Jefferson County.
For the past 10 months, JCDA board members and staff have been reviewing the organization’s strengths and weaknesses, assessing the county’s development needs and opportunities, and gathering community input to develop a road map for the organization. The resulting strategic plan includes a revised organizational mission statement, defines five core values, identifies seven goals for 2021-2025, and outlines several strategies for each goal.
“The JCDA strategic planning committee and board members dedicated a significant amount of time and efforts to this project,” said Michelle Sudduth, chair of the JCDA’s strategic plan committee. “This plan will serve as an important tool to prioritize and align our work, increase and better allocate resources, and measure the progress of our organization for the next four years.”
To successfully implement the strategic plan, JCDA staff will develop annual action plans which will document specific objectives, responsibilities, timelines, and performance measurements for achieving them. Both the four-year strategic plan and the annual action plans will work in alignment with and support the Envision Jefferson 2035 Comprehensive Plan.
“Jefferson County has the right assets to be successful – a strategic location in the Mid-Atlantic region, a talented workforce, affordable sites, and a high quality of life,” said Dennis Jarvis II, JCDA executive director. “The JCDA will use our strategic plan, along with the county’s comprehensive plan, to guide us in
creating sustainable, economic development for Jefferson County. We are eager to work with community stakeholders, local citizens, and our area and state partners to move the community forward.”
JCDA engaged the consulting firm Capacity Partners of Bethesda, Md., to facilitate the strategic planning process, which included phases of data collection, analysis, community stakeholder interviews, a community survey, board retreat, and development of goals and strategies.
From the beginning, the JCDA strived to include community outreach as part of the strategic planning process so residents, businesses, and community organizations could provide input and suggestions. One-on-one interviews were conducted with more than 20 community stakeholders and regional and state partners in addition to JCDA board members and staff. The process also included a community survey which had more than 995 respondents, Sudduth added.
Ranking Our Great State of West Virginia
What is a ranking? The word ranking is defined as aposition in a scale of achievement or status; a classification. Generally, the only rankings that anyone pays attention to are for local high school athletic teams, the College Football Playoffs, and the March Madness college basketball tournament. The only rankings that anyone can cite is who finished in the top position or the top five. Does anyone recall being ranked in the middle of the field? Usually not. However, sometimes achieving a ranking in the middle of the pack is equivalent to winning a championship game. West Virginia has achieved this honor in my opinion.
Site Selection magazine, a leading authority on business expansion and business development, recently announced its top state business climate rankings for 2020. North Carolina and Georgia were tied for first, and West Virginia was tied for 25th with the state of Illinois. At first glance, you might say this isn’t an impressive ranking; however, it is. Site Selection based its rankings on several factors including good tax climate, competitive state/local incentives, cost of doing business, access to labor markets, and transportation networks.
Since 2016, West Virginia has had a dramatic rise in terms of economic health and investment and improved our standing in the ranking system by Site Selection. Prior to 2016, West Virginia did not receive recognition or obtain a mid-pack ranking in any business journal for economic successes. West Virginia has enhanced our economic development climate resulting in the following rankings nationally:
First overall in economic growth/Gross Domestic Product (GDP) – GoBanking Rates 2019
4th lowest rates for workers compensation – Oregon Consumer and Business Service 2018
5th total energy production – West Virginia State Energy Profile and Energy Estimates 2018
$5 billion in business investments since 2017 – West Virginia Development Office Research Division 2019
130 new businesses representing 27 foreign countries – West Virginia Development Office
Jefferson County benefits from these rankings and our location in the Eastern Panhandle. Site selectors and commercial realtors are aware of the opportunities our community provides. Jefferson County is situated in the Washington, D.C., Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), located within in a day’s drive to 50 percent of the United States’ population, has direct access to higher education with Shepherd University and Blue Ridge Community and Technical College, is accessible to three interstate systems, and has abundant natural resources.
A tangible result of the strengthened business climate in West Virginia is the direct investment of two foreign-owned businesses in Jefferson County, TeMa North America and Rockwool. These two companies make up 1.5 percent of the foreign direct investment in West Virginia, $157 million in net new capital investment and more than 180 jobs.
Jefferson County continues to progress and reenergize our local economy despite the COVID pandemic. Our community leaders will continue to work with state and federal partners to strengthen our community, the region, and the state to advance in rankings for an enhanced business climate. Trust the climb - the view at the crest of the peak is a brighter horizon.
Dennis Jarvis II
Executive Director, JCDA
Free Training Opportunities
Government's Role in Expanding Entrepreneurship in WV
November 24 at 2 p.m.
Learn what the state is doing to create a more welcoming entrepreneurial environment and hear about resources that are available to assist entrepreneurs. Featuring West Virginia Secretary of Commerce Ed Gaunch; Secretary of State Mac Warner; Mike Graney, executive director of the West Virginia Development Office; and Rick Gilman, director of career and technical education for the West Virginia Department of Education. Moderated by Bill Woodrum, director of entrepreneurship, Robert C. Byrd Institute.
Learn about the federal Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs, which are a source of non-dilutive, early-stage funding for small businesses and researchers. Learn what is involved in developing a concept, how to identify the right funding opportunities, tips for preparing to write a SBIR-STTR grant, how to be competitive in developing an application, and how to navigate the registration process.
Explore how to utilize a combination of marketing tools and technologies to effectively communicate your brand message. How do you ensure consistency without becoming stagnant? Join marketing expert, Melody Belotte, and the West Virginia Small Business Development Center and learn how to develop a cohesive plan for 2021.
The JCDA consists of a 15-member board of directors, including representatives from the county commission and each of the five municipalities within the county as well as industry, business, labor, education, and citizens representatives. The JCDA aims to increase and diversify the tax base for Jefferson County as well as provide new employment opportunities through the attraction of new companies and the retention and expansion of existing businesses.