PROTEC/PCDA NEW YEAR FUND-RAISING EFFORT OFF TO A GREAT START

December 29, 2000 - "Thanks to the generosity of Putnam County Bank, we're off to a great start," according to Gary Walton, Executive Director of the Putnam County Development Authority. Putnam County Bank has already made a donation of $5,000 to the 2001 fund raising effort. The week before Christmas was selected as the kick-off date for the 2000 - 2001 fund raising effort for the Authority. Again this year, the Putnam Regional Organization for Technical and Economic Development, Inc. (PROTEC) is spear-heading the fundraising effort on behalf of the authority.

Walton continued that "our goal this year is to raise $100,000 in our private partnership fund raising." Last year's effort raised over $42,000 that was used in support of the Authority's marketing efforts. According to Walton, "we do everything we can to make the donated funds work for Putnam County." Some examples of the accomplishments from 2000 include:

  • PCDA’s Web Pages received an Award of Merit from the West Virginia Economic Development Council.
  • Our newsletter also received an Award of Merit from the West Virginia Economic Development Council.
  • The Executive Director participated in the West Virginia Mission to Japan in April 2000 to directly market Putnam County to foreign industrial prospects.
  • Your organization began national advertising in three trade publications to spread the word that Putnam County, West Virginia is a serious contender in economic development.

    As a result of this national advertising, we have received several direct industrial prospect inquiries from the United States, Japan, and Germany.

"We would like to build on the successes of the past and reach for even higher goals in 2001." Walton concluded.

For additional information, please contact: Gary S. Walton, CED, Executive Director, Putnam County Development Authority, Inc. pcda@pcda.org