From staff reports
With committee recommendations approved by its board at its year-end business meeting Dec. 14, the Southeastern Ohio Port Authority has added Nancy Hollister and Terry Rataiczak to its board as new members and approved a slate of officers for 2023.
The port authority is Washington County’s lead economic development agency and works closely with local, state and federal partners to support site and infrastructure development, business growth and attraction, and a variety of community development approaches.
The addition of Hollister and Rataiczak follows a board-approved November resolution to expand the SEOPA board from 13 to 15 members. At that time, an ad hoc committee was formed to recruit and recommend new members, along with recommending a new slate of officers for the coming year.
Hollister was Marietta’s first female mayor in 1984 and Ohio’s first female governor in 1998. She also served as Lieutenant Governor, State Representative, and Director of the Governor’s Office of Appalachia. Hollister’s knowledge of and familiarity with Marietta and Southeast Ohio directly aligns with SEOPA’s mission, Executive Director Jesse Roush said.
“For our organization to be successful, we need strong relationships throughout the public sector and Nancy can help us grow those relationships,” Roush said. “SEOPA is committed to making Washington County a better place to live, work and stay. We couldn’t ask for a better representative of these efforts than Nancy Hollister.”
Rataiczak, owner and CEO of Kinetic Networking, is well-known throughout the local business community, Roush said. He’s a member of several other nonprofit boards in the area and his experience as a small business owner in the tech industry combines with his service experience to add immediate value to SEOPA’s board.
“Terry and I have worked on a number of projects together in the last five years and I’ve grown to deeply respect his business acumen,” he said. “His expertise in operations and technology greatly enhances our board’s collective capabilities.”
Officers approved for 2023 are Chairman Matt Edgell, Chief of Staff, Peoples Bank; Vice-Chairman Dr. Bill Ruud, President, Marietta College; Treasurer/Secretary David Hass, President, Morrison Inc.; and Vice-Treasurer/Secretary Bret Allphin, Senior Program Manager, NADO, and Marietta City Councilman for Ward Two.
Edgell, the new chairman, takes over for Hal Payne, General Manager of Ken Miller Supply, who has served as chairman for the past three years.
Four members are being reappointed to the board. Dr. Tony Huffman, Superintendent of Washington County Career Center, joined the board in 2020. This is his second three-year term. Edgell is starting his third three-year term. Dave Archer, Chairman, The Pioneer Group, joined the board in October 2005 and is the second-longest-serving member. Tom Webster, Partner, McCauley, Webster and Emrick, Attorneys at Law, is the longest-serving board member and a member of SEOPA’s Executive Committee.
Washington County Commissioners confirmed the appointments of new members Hollister and Rataiczak as well as the four reappointments to the board.
Since its creation in 2002, SEOPA has assisted with the creation and retention of 1,450 jobs, secured more than $17 million in grants, and provided critical support for more than $250 million in public- and private-sector investment, according to information supplied by SEOPA.