OVRDC Names New Executive Director Stephanie Gilbert to Succeed John Hemmings
On Thursday, June 27th, at the regular meeting of the Ohio Valley Regional Development Commission (OVRDC) Executive Committee, members named Stephanie Gilbert to lead the organization as the new executive director. Effective August 1st, Stephanie Gilbert will take over as Executive Director of the Ohio Valley Regional Development Commission and John Hemmings will officially step-down, effective July 31, 2024, after 33 years with the organization.
“I am truly honored to have been chosen to lead OVRDC into the future. I appreciate all the support of the staff and the Executive Committee, and especially John Hemmings for investing his time in helping me prepare to take on this role. My priorities will include keeping us in a financially sound position, pursuing growth opportunities and preparing for the agency’s future. With my background, I look forward to continuing to grow the Regional Transportation Planning Organization (RTPO) program. We will continue to partner with our members on infrastructure projects for regional economic development and increase face to face communication with community leaders. All these things tie back to bringing more money into our region to help grow our communities,” said Stephanie Gilbert, new OVRDC Executive Director.
“The executive search was a deliberate process that took a while, but the dominos fell in such a way that we have the best result for our organization. Stephanie Gilbert has come up through the ranks and she’s been there 11 years, so she knows the programs of the organization inside and out. She’s what we needed to bring the agency forward and has the full support of the Board and commission members,” said Barry Woodruff, OVRDC Chairman of the Board and Brown County Commissioner.
“The executive committee selected the right candidate to take the reins of this organization and lead us into the future. I’m excited for Stephanie and with my upcoming departure, I know I’m leaving the organization in good hands under her leadership,” said John Hemmings.
OVRDC is a regional partnership dedicated to the development of southern Ohio. The Executive Committee is the governing body with 33 members made up of elected and non-elected officials. The 167 members of the full commission meet twice a year and include representatives from the 12-county service area, including Adams, Brown, Clermont, Fayette, Gallia, Highland, Jackson, Lawrence, Pike, Ross, Scioto, and Vinton counties.
