The West Point/Clay County Growth Alliance has chosen a new vice president for economic development.
Link CEO Joe Max Higgins confirmed the hiring of Ron Maloney on Wednesday saying Maloney was the “hands down” choice for the position.
Maloney was one of 80 applicants who applied for the job and one of four that interviewed in West Point. He comes to West Point from Sarasota, Fla., where he served as CEO of Dynamic Impacting Consulting.
“Having Ron on board is going to be a tremendous asset for Clay County and West Point,” said Cynthia Wilson, the Growth Alliance’s Director for Community Development. “He comes with a wealth of experience and we’re really looking forward to working with him.”
Higgins said that he, Maloney and members of the Growth Alliance spent the better part of a day interviewing and giving the job hopefuls tours of the West Point area, including the highly anticipated mega-site.
The Clay County mega-site is similar to the one located in Lowndes County that boasts industrial giants such as Severstal and American Eurocopter and has brought thousands of jobs to the Golden Triangle.
While final plans for the site have not been set, Higgins confirmed two master plans are being considered that could either turn the site into a singular plant that will “leave a big foot print” on the Golden Triangle or turn it into a campus with multiple users. Both options are still being considered, but Higgins stated two prospects are looking at the site already.
In addition to his role at Dynamic Impact Consulting, Maloney also served as Executive Vice President of the Economic Development Corporation of Sarasota County.
A welcome ceremony for Maloney will be held at The Ritz in West Point on Aug. 2 from 5:30-7:30 p.m.
Higgins anticipates Maloney will “hit the ground running” when he arrives in West Point later this week.
Sarah Fowler covered crime, education and community related events for The Dispatch.
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