Full Commission Meeting Welcomes Members to Beautiful Gallipolis City Park
The Ohio Valley Regional Development Commission held the fall biannual Full Commission Meeting on Friday, September 24, 2022, in Gallia County at the beautiful Gallipolis City Park. Every year, one of the twelve counties that make up OVRDC membership hosts the meeting, and Gallia County Commissioners were on hand to welcome 85+ members from across the region to their downtown park on a beautiful, first-week-of-fall day.
Guest speaker Peter Voderberg, Director of BroadbandOhio, shared information on programs and grant awards for broadband projects in the region and members appreciated hearing the latest on rural broadband expansion efforts.
Service awards were given out to members who demonstrated exemplary public service contributions, including Outstanding OVRDC Executive Committee Member Diane Ward for her work serving the membership as Treasurer; Outstanding OVRDC Full Commission Member Julie Bolen, Executive Director of the Ross County Community Action Commission for her leadership on the INSPIRE project; the Outstanding OVRDC Officer Award went to former Chairman Randy Heath; the OVRDC Excellence in Public Service award went to Gallia County Commissioner Harold Montgomery; and the OVRDC Area Leadership Award recognized John Carey, Director of the Governor’s Office of Appalachia for his efforts to bring more resources to Appalachian Ohio communities.
OVRDC Board Chairman Barry Woodruff and Executive Director John Hemmings guided the proceedings and lunch meeting agenda, welcoming many distinguished guests and partners in the region who are working together for economic and community development. Thank you to all the members who attended and to Kelly Smith, regional representative for Treasurer Robert Sprague’s office, who sang the National Anthem.
The Full Commission meeting was followed by the September Executive Committee meeting to conduct the business of the membership.
