Blast from the Past! Smolak appears in Southern Economic Development Hall of Fame!
Southern Business and Development magazine is compiling a three-part series of People Who Built the South as a Hall of Fame of people active in economic development in the region over the last 70 years. Included in the first group of three to be named to the Hall of Fame is FSEDI founding director John Smolak, who remains active in economic development consulting through his company, JJS Economic Development Consulting, LLC. Among Virginians, the initial group of a handful of movers and shakers includes Senators Mark Warner and George Allen, Christopher Lloyd of McGuire Woods and former Hampton Roads EDA director Greg Wingfield.
Check out the article here!
Mr. Smolak was President & CEO of FSEDI from October 2005 to March 2012. During his tenure, the Franklin Business Center opened and grew substantially into one of the leading incubator buildings in the Commonwealth. Mr. Smolak was also responsible for the marketing and development of business sites in Franklin Southampton as well as significant growth and recovery in our area. He later worked from American Electric Power and Sanford Holshouser Economic Development Consulting.
Congratulations to John on being named to the Southern Economic Development Hall of Fame! We greatly appreciate your work here while you were at FSEDI, and your continued support of economic development in Virginia!