Wayne Economic Development Council (WEDC) has announced John Crum

will serve as its interim president.

“We were able to convince John to come out of retirement to help serve in a part-time role as we search for our permanent hire,” said Don Noble II, the organization’s chairman. “John was an obvious choice given his 15-plus years of economic development experience, a recent stint as the WEDC chairman, and many years of leading expansion at Seaman Corporation. He knows our

organization and we are fortunate to have his expertise.”

Crum takes over an organization with a history of success. Wayne County has sustained its status as a nationally acclaimed micropolitan area for economic growth. The POLICOM Index, which applies numerous factors in analyzing smart economic growth, continues to rank Wayne County as a top 3% micropolitan area in the nation. Additionally, Site Selection magazine has

ranked Wayne County seventh nationally in new project expansions in the past year. These highly sought recognitions show the level of respect in the economic development community for Wayne County.

“WEDC has a very skilled team and I’m happy to help the organization through this transition,” said Crum. “Giving back to the community has always been a focus of mine, and the WEDC is a very important organization for Wayne County. It is an honor to be asked and I look forward to helping.”

WEDC has begun a search for a full-time president to help sustain the organization’s mission, which is to promote and facilitate business retention and strategic business growth in Wayne County.