The Altoona Blair County Development (ABCD) Corporation closed out its 2017 operational year this week by voting in a new slate of officers, board members and reporting on its annual impact measures. Long-time Board member and Penn State Altoona Chancellor, Dr. Lori Bechtel-Wherry will begin to serve as ABCD Board Chair on January 1, 2018. Bechtel-Wherry follows Dan Hoover of Roaring Spring Water who has served a full three-year term and who will continue to serve as Immediate Past Chair. Newly appointed Board members include Eric Wolf, Executive Director of Amtran and Paul Querry of the Warren G. Gingrich Agency. Last month, Andrea Cohen of the Blair Companies was appointed to the Board to complete the unexpired term of her late father and long-time ABCD Board member Donald Devorris.
“Nothing in economic development happens without a strong and capable Board,” said ABCD President and CEO, Stephen McKnight. “We have been very fortunate to have a long and valued legacy of Board leaders with the right vision to see many important and high-impact projects through,” McKnight added. “With our incoming leadership and members, that tradition will continue.”
ABCD Corporation staff reported that in 2017 the organization completed 29 business expansion projects resulting in a total capital investment of more than $35 million which resulted in 203 new jobs committed and 514 retained. A full and final report on 2017 projects and impact will be made at ABCD Corporation’s annual meeting which will take place in the spring of 2018.
