May 24th EDA Board of Directors meeting highlights new executive leadership

Executive Director Doug Parsons to EDA Board Chairman Gray Blanton’s right at the outset of Friday morning’s meeting. The five remaining EDA board members were all present. The county supervisors have yet to fill the two vacancies created by the March resignations of Ron Llewellyn and Greg Drescher. Royal Examiner Photos/Roger Bianchini. Video by Mark Williams.

There were new faces, and one unexpected familiar one among those gathered for the monthly meeting of the Front Royal-Warren County Economic Development Authority Board of Directors on Friday morning, May 24.

New ones included Doug Parsons, who gave his first monthly report as executive director of the EDA, and Parson’s Administrative Assistant Gretchen Henderson.

In addition to the usual suspects from the Town and County governments – Town Manager Joe Waltz, Community Development and Tourism Coordinator Felicia Hart, County Administrator Doug Stanley and EDA Attorney Dan Whitten – was recently-resigned Front Royal Mayor Hollis Tharpe.

Asked prior to the meeting what accounted for his presence as a now-former town official, Tharpe coyly replied, “You can’t tell how many hats I wear.” Though we saw no ice cream exchange hands, the one he was sporting was his Tharpe’s Ice Cream” hat.

Who’s that white-hat wearing ice cream man next to Town Manager Joe Waltz and Community Development Coordinator Felicia Hart seated behind Ed Daley and Dan Whitten Friday morning – he kind of looks familiar …

Tharpe, who announced his resignation effective May 2, on April 19 four days after a grand jury indictment for solicitation of prostitution was handed down, left after the open meeting adjourned to closed session at 8:45 a.m. Tharpe has maintained his innocence but said he was resigning in order not to be a distraction to the conduct of town business while he fights the charge against him in court.

But back to the conduct of EDA business on May 24 – in his initial executive report to his still-two-member-short EDA Board of Directors – all five current members were present – Parsons summarized his first weeks on the job; his goals in revitalization of the EDA; and thanked a variety of people for their assistance.

Those people included recently-departed Interim Executive Director John Anzivino, County and EDA Attorney Dan Whitten, County Administrator Doug Stanley, the County’s cleaning and maintenance staff, and new EDA Administrative Assistant Gretchen Henderson, the latter for her assistance in coming project organization and liaison work with accountants on EDA fiscal operations; and help organizing the office which has had the trappings of a crime scene since Jennifer McDonald’s December 20, 2018 resignation as executive director.

New EDA Administrative Assistant Gretchen Henderson helps EDA Attorney Dan Whitten load post-meeting materials into his car.

In fact, Parsons who officially began his new job on May 8 seems to be settling into the executive director’s office which no longer appears to be in lock-down mode following the April 16 search by FBI and Virginia State Police personnel.

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In his director’s report Parsons summarized meetings with prospective clients, existing community businesses, and exploration of regional and state economic development resources. In addition to the Northern Shenandoah Valley Regional Commission set up in offices next door to the EDA headquarters, those resources include the Virginia Economic Development Partnership (VEDP) from which Parson was recruited to his current job.

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In addition to four prospects, including one apparently aggressively pursuing the recently-controversial 426 Baugh Drive warehouse, Parsons noted the planned June occupation of vacant office space adjacent to the EDA offices off Kendrick Lane. The business poised to settle in next door is “Tap Ask”, a wine and beer-testing laboratory, Parsons reported, adding, “I’ll have to stay out of there” – at least till 5 p.m., Doug …

New EDA Executive Director Doug Parsons, right, gives his initial executive report as board member Tom Patteson and his un-pictured colleagues listen.

More seriously, Parsons told his board, “I feel we’ve made good progress over the last three weeks, and I’m very optimistic going forward … In the process of working with the Board, the County and the Town, the education systems, and other economic development partners I hope to strengthen working relationships and build trust and faith in the Warren County EDA and me within Front Royal and Warren County.”

See Parsons’ detailed report and his board’s response to it, as well as the monthly updates of the county administrator and town manager; and the EDA’s post-closed meeting approval of updated and amended bylaws and an agreement for continued building and grounds maintenance and financial services from the county government in the liked Royal Examiner videos:

During his update on Town business, Joe Waltz noted that striping was complete on the West Main Street connector road into the ITFederal property. Phase One into the built portion of the 30-acre ITFederal site is 95% complete, Waltz reported. The town manager did not venture a guess on when additional portions of the planned thru road connecting Kendrick Lane to the north and West Main, Kerfoot Avenue and Criser Road to the south might begin.

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