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Highly touted developer hired by Twin Rivers
The collaboration will, for a limited time, market a fivecounty region around Mobile County that includes Clarke, Choctaw, Escambia, Monroe and Conecuh. The hiring, according to Twin Rivers officials, is to enable the region to have the best opportunities to land spinoff businesses that could result from the EADS CASA aviation project and ThyssenKrupp Steel Mill. Wiley Blankenship, President/CEO of Coastal Gateway will serve as the economic developer for the combined effort. "It is in the best interest of the region to take full advantage of the opportunities that could present themselves to us as a result of the joining of forces," Blankenship said recently. Blankenship's primary responsibility with Coastal Gateway includes the marketing and promotion of the counties to prospective industry and businesses. In addition, Coastal Gateway also serves as a clearing house for existing industrial parks and sites in the region. Blankenship has been with Coastal Gateway just over two years, since its inception. In addition to his responsibilities at Coastal Gateway, Blankenship also serves as a guest lecturer for Auburn University's Economic Development Institute. There, he teaches a course on developing and implementing a rural retail development program. He also serves on the Board of Directors for Business Council of Alabama. Blankenship previously served as the vice president of business and workforce development for the Decatur- Morgan County Alabama Chamber of Commerce. Blankenship holds a degree from Auburn University in Public Administration and the University of Georgia's Institute of Organizational Management and is a graduate of the Economic Development Institute at the University of Oklahoma. Twin Rivers Economic Development Partnership (TREDP), a regional effort between Clarke and Choctaw Counties, is modeled after Coastal Gateway and currently operates on a budget of approximately $300,000 a year. The partnership, whose chairman is Chip Harrigan of Scotch Lumber Company, has nearly completed its $1.5 million funding campaign seeking both private and public contributions. While some officials in Clarke County are still debating Twin Rivers' placement in the network of economic developers, the group generally enjoys wide support as a primary point of contact, and local economic developers have said they look forward to working with Blankenship. "I know Wiley has done an excellent job at Coastal Gateway and he's made excellent connections throughout the state, I look forward to working with him," said Debra Fox, Thomasville's economic developer. Thomasville Mayor Sheldon Day called Blankenship "the perfect person at the perfect time to lead Twin Rivers and help us take advantage of the interest businesses are showing in this region." Bridgett Shewmake, who served as the campaign coordinator for Twin Rivers will continue to manage the offices and fill a number of roles for TREDP in Clarke and Choctaw Counties. For more information, call the Twin Rivers office at (888) 256-3537. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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