County economic board looks for new leader

Chandler Inions, The Lebanon Democrat, Tenn.
·3 min read

Jul. 9—The search for a new Wilson County Joint Economic and Community Development Board director is officially underway.

The outgoing director, G.C. Hixson, formally announced his decision to step down from the post in April. Hixson confirmed in a phone call on Friday that he will remain as the director until a replacement can be brought on.

For the last 17 years, Hixson has overseewn the JECDB in a role that markets Wilson County to prospective business and industrial partners. The director works with the county, in addition to Watertown, Mt. Juliet and Lebanon city governments.

To spearhead the search, the JECDB put together a five-person committee that is chaired by Don Chambers.

"We would like to find another G.C. Hixson," Chambers said on Thursday. "If we could find another like him, we would be in good shape. He has done an excellent job for the county."

Chambers indicated that the committee is anticipating having some response back to the posting by the end of the month, at which time it will start narrowing down the field. According to Chambers, the committee is looking for someone who will be a good fit for "recruiting industry and white-collar companies" to Wilson County.

As Chambers pointed out, it's not just about knowing business but also familiarity with navigating the powers at be.

"We are looking for someone that knows this part of the country and that knows how to deal with the state and local government," Chambers said.

Chambers lamented over losing Hixson's persona as the leading man of the organization.

"It is amazing the job growth we have had under G.C.'s tenure," Chambers said. "When he came in, we had little industry in the county. Now we have a lot of diversified industries ... like changing over to support the electric-car industry. We will see a lot of those opportunities with industries like that (in the future.)"

Chambers pointed to Wilson County's proximity to an international airport as being a draw for commercial suitors. However, he commented it's the ground game that makes Wilson County such a strong contender for relocations.

"If you draw a 500-mile radius around Lebanon, you have 70% of the American population," Chambers said. "(Highway) 840 opened up a lot of opportunities for the kind of industry we have located there now, because companies have figured out that we are within a day's drive to so many people."

The additional search committee members are Rob Porter, the JECDB Board of Directors vice chairman; Phill Smartt, JECDB Executive Committee treasurer; Caleb Thorne, JECDB Board of Directors chairman; and Lynn Daugherty.

The JECDB assistant director, Tammy Stokes, indicated in an email on Friday the job was posted to the organization's main website. It will also be posted on the Tennessee Economic Development Council, Southern Economic Development Council and International Economic Development Council websites.

Qualifications listed on the job posting include a bachelor's degree in business, marketing, economics or related course of study, along with at least five years of professional experience. Certification with the International Economic Development Council or the Tennessee equivalent is preferred.