OVRDC Celebrates John Hemmings and Welcomes New Executive Director Stephanie Gilbert

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.

“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.

“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 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.

Established in 1967, OVRDC has a 50-year history of fostering economic development and job creation in the region. John Hemmings served OVRDC as the Executive Director from August 2008 to July 31, 2024.

John W. Hemmings III embarked on his journey at the Ohio Valley Regional Development Commission when he was hired as a Regional Planner on March 1, 1991. John then became Economic Development Director in 1996, and later the Assistant Director in 1999, a position he held for nine years before the OVRDC Executive Committee elevated him to the Executive Director leadership position in 2008.

Majoring in Business Economics, John graduated summa cum laude from Ohio University with a bachelor’s degree in business administration. During John’s tenure as Executive Director, from 2008 to 2024, he has been part of a team responsible for more than 203 economic development infrastructure projects through the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) and Economic Development Administration (EDA) programs. The impact of this work has meant over $304 million dollars leveraged for projects in southern Ohio. These ARC and EDA projects were responsible for creating or retaining a total of 15,904 jobs for the region.

Mr. Hemmings says one of his greatest achievements during his time as Executive Director of the agency was realizing the dream of finding a permanent home for OVRDC after circumstances necessitated multiple office moves. The planning and building of the current office and OVRDC home began with John’s initiative. The original office was in Portsmouth, Ohio for many years until that building was condemned, and necessitated relocating to a leased facility in Waverly, Ohio for about 15 years, before construction began in 2012 on the current location.

“It just felt like we didn’t have a permanent home. The building project was one of my favorite projects, because I was involved start to finish, from securing the financing, to helping design and build it to completion and there’s a big reward when you see a project happen start to finish,” said John Hemmings.

John is a native of Scioto County, Ohio, and a proud father to his son Jonathan. His interests include music, guitar, genealogy, antiques, and classic automobiles. John will continue his economic and community development work in the region and is looking forward to taking on new professional challenges, renovating his house and travelling in his time off. We wish John all the best and thank him for his dedication to the mission of OVRDC.