Mooresville-South Iredell EDC names new executive director

Published 12:00 am Wednesday, December 2, 2009

MOORESVILLE ó The Mooresville-South Iredell Economic Development Corporation has hired an Ohio economic development official as its new executive director.
At a special meeting Friday, the local agency’s board of directors approved hiring Russell Rogerson from Fosteria, Ohio.
Rogerson has been employed with GreaterFindlayInc. since 2006. GreaterFindlay is a private, nonprofit organization that combined the community development foundation, the chamber of commerce and the convention-visitors’ bureau to focus on economic development. Previously, Rogerson had worked with the Findlay/Hancock County Development Foundation.
Site Selection Magazine rated GreaterFindlay sixth in the nation for Micropolitan Communities. The corporation also has been in the top 20 in the Site Selection ranking for the past 10 years.
Under Rogerson’s leadership, GreaterFindlay:
– Led and closed an average of six projects a year with an average investment of $50 million.
– Developed a high-tech manufacturing acceleration center that has attracted more than $7 million in state funds and $2 million in private investment in the past three years.
– Established a retention and expansion program that consisted of making visits to the top 50 employers and identifying opportunities and threats to the existing working environment.
Rogerson also worked as president of the North Central Campus for Emerging Technologies which was the regions’ first high-tech manufacturing acceleration center.
He’s also held the positions of director of public relations/marketing for the Blanchard Valley Health System and a number of supervisory positions with Columbia Gas of Ohio.
Rogerson received his BA in communications from Bethany College.
In a press release, Sara Tice, chairwoman of the Mooresville-South Iredell Economic Development Corp., said Rogerson was a unanimous choice of the Search Committee, which received 40 resumes and interviewed seven candidates.
Rogerson will begin his new job July 1.