EDA fills second staff vacancy this week – Henderson joins Parsons

The EDA board prepares to fill a second staff position at Thursday’s special meeting. Royal Examiner Photo/Roger Bianchini

Following a brief closed session Thursday morning, a four-member quorum of the Front Royal-Warren County Economic Development Authority Board of Directors voted to hire Gretchen Henderson as administrative assistant. Henderson, who is currently serving as secretary of the County’s Board of Equalization, will begin her position with the EDA on Monday, May 6.

Present for the 10-minute closed session and vote were board Chairman Gray Blanton, Vice-Chairman Bruce Drummond, Treasurer Tom Patteson and Ed Daley. Also present were EDA Attorney Dan Whitten, Interim Executive Director John Anzivino and County Board Chairman Dan Murray. Absent was Mark Baker. Two board vacancies created by the resignations of Greg Drescher and Ron Llewellyn, effective March 23 the day after they were submitted, remain unfilled by the county supervisors.

Henderson fills a vacancy created when Missy Henry left the EDA under questionable circumstances on March 18. While EDA officials called Henry’s departure a resignation, her personal family photographs and children’s artwork remained up in her work space for well over a week after that resignation was announced and she was no longer on the job.

The front desk at EDA office is ready to be occupied after a six-week vacancy following Missy Henry’s departure.

Henderson was hired to a 35-hour work week typical of county employees at a salary of $35,000 per year. Henderson will have two days with Interim Executive Director Anzivino prior to the May 8 arrival of Doug Parsons. Parsons was appointed Monday, April 29, to take the executive director’s reins from Anzivino on a permanent basis. Anzivino’s contract as interim executive director was extended to May 10 by the board at the same April 29 meeting at which Parsons’ hiring was announced.

According to EDA and County Attorney Dan Whitten there is currently no plan to fill the part-time marketing director’s position vacated by Marla Jones’ retirement late last year.