Chillicothe- December 11, 2024
Nearly ninety (90) business leaders attended the 2024 GCRCD Celebration Breakfast held at the Chillicothe Country Club. Greater Chillicothe & Ross County Development hosts the event each year to share projects which were completed in the current year and promote plans for the coming year.
The theme for the meeting was “Partnerships”. During Director Eallonardo’s Annual Report she shared that ten (10) projects had closed in 2024, representing $91M in capital investment, creating 66 new and retaining 2,603 jobs. In total, GCRCD had leveraged $3.6M in grants or loans in support of these projects, through partnerships.
This year’s guest speakers included Katy Farber, Vice President of OhioSE, and Drew Cooper, Director of Government Affairs & Engagement of JobsOhio. Mayor Luke Feeney, City of Chillicothe, and Ross County Commissioner Jack Everson gave a presentation on the projects that were funded by the Appalachian Community Grant Program – a program that offered $500M in technical assistance and development grants for counties in Ohio’s 32-Appalachian region. Chillicothe was the recipient of $45M.
This year’s keynote speaker was Director Lydia Mihalik, Ohio Department of Development. She affirmed the positive momentum that Ross County, Ohio, is currently enjoying and reiterated that partnerships have led to the success.
Chairman of the Board of Directors, Jeff Graham (CEO – Adena Health) was recognized by Mayor Feeney for six (6) years of service on the board. The board members also recognized Ross County Commissioner Dwight Garrett for his dedication to GCRCD and Ross County.