On June 1, 2022, John Hemmings returned as OVRDC Executive Director, for his 32nd year of employment with the agency.

“I am excited to be back to work and look forward to continuing to lead the agency and establish a succession plan for the future. The team we have at OVRDC did a great job of keeping our projects on track and working with our partners in the region to ensure progress and completion. Under the direction of Interim Executive Director Kim Reynolds, our agency continued to make a big impact for all of the counties we serve. At present, we are seeing more investment into Appalachian Ohio than we have ever seen before, and I consider it a privilege to be part of this historic time.”

In addition to succession planning, Hemmings will help lead the region in identifying potential projects and securing financing for these projects over the next few years. Hemmings gives credit to a network of contributors for the future success of the agency and said, “None of that will be possible without the valuable participation of our members and the OVRDC staff.”