TRURO - The head of the Colchester Regional Development Agency is leaving.
Executive director Jo Ann Fewer told the board and staff on Wednesday she will be leaving at the end of August.
"I think things are fabulous here these days and there's lots of good results with the agency," she told the Truro Daily News. "I'm a firm believer that it's good for an organization and an individual to move on when things are good."
Fewer, an Urbania, Hants County native, joined CoRDA in January 2001 after working with the Halifax Regional Development Agency and the Halifax Regional Municipality's community development division.
She was part of CoRDA when it merged in 2003 with Colchester Park and Colchester Microenterprise Corporation and was selected as the new agency's executive director.
Fewer has decided not to renew her contract and will explore new opportunities. She says it is hard to leave because of the close relationships formed and the progress made in central Nova Scotia.
"I feel the people involved with CoRDA – the volunteers and staff – are somewhat like family to me," she said.
The agency has been vital in attracting new investments to the region and is leading the province with its immigration program.
During the past five years nearly $10 million in industrial park sales has occurred in Colchester County's three parks and the Debert Air Industrial Park was transferred to local management. CoRDA has also been instrumental in securing funding for a number of infrastructure projects and has supported many community development projects like the Tatamagouche Creamery Square and Dutch Mason Blues Festival.
"When you have an executive director as qualified as Jo Ann people feed off it," said Bob White, who represents the Debert area on the Municipality of Colchester County. "CoRDA has an extremely competent, energetic staff that when they go about a project they have everybody's best interest in mind."
CoRDA chairman Laurie Jennings thanked Fewer for her dedication to the region.
"We'll miss having Jo Ann at the agency's helm," he said. "But we're ready with a follow-up plan. The agency board and staff are gearing up to implement the new five-year plan for the community that includes focus on new sectors, namely renewable energy, aerospace, agri-technology, new media and the silver economy."
Ron Smith, CoRDA's director of business development, will assume the executive director's position in September while the board decides about a full-time replacement.
jmalloy@trurodaily.com
