CHICAGO, Dec. 20, 2018 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- The Site Selectors Guild (SSG), the world's leading association of location strategists, has named Rick L. Weddle, a professional economic developer and industry thought leader, as its first-ever executive director.
Weddle's appointment comes after a nearly year-long search by SSG for an executive director. Since its founding in 2010, the association's operations have been led by a seven-person board with assistance from a part-time advisor.
"We've achieved tremendous growth in our membership and our brand, and we knew the time was right to bring an experienced executive on board," said SSG board chair Didi Caldwell. "Rick is a strategic thinker and leader with the integrity and expertise to position the association for long-term success."
Weddle most recently served as president and CEO of the Hampton Roads Economic Development Alliance in Virginia, where he led the day-to-day operations for the regional nonprofit development organization.
Prior to his role with the Alliance, Weddle served as president and CEO of regional development organizations in Orlando, Phoenix, Toledo, Ohio, and Stockton, California and the Research Triangle Park (RTP) in North Carolina. Organizations under his leadership have developed more than 750 projects that have generated 75,000 jobs and $7 billion in capital investment. He plans to apply the same results-driven focus toward achieving success for SSG.
"The Guild's growth reflects the increased understanding and appreciation of the value experienced location strategists bring to the site selection process," said Weddle. "I look forward to advancing this mission and ensuring that there is a professional site selector involved in every corporate location decision."
A respected industry leader and speaker, Weddle was elected as Chairman of the International Economic Development Council (IEDC) in 2002 and President of the International Association of Science Parks and Areas of Innovation (IASP) in 2012. He was honored by the IEDC in 2009 with the Edward DeLuca Lifetime Achievement Award.
About The Site Selectors Guild
The Site Selectors Guild (SSG) is a professional association comprised of the world's leading corporate location advisory consultants to companies looking to build or expand. The mission of SSG is to advance the profession of corporate location strategy by raising awareness of the value professional location strategy and site selection services create for corporations. Professional site selectors often serve as a barometer for the overall economy – when companies are growing and expanding, they turn to site selectors for location advisory assistance. If projects slow down or stop coming in to site selectors, it is an early indicator that business may be headed for a downturn.
Guild members are also committed to sharing thought leadership and best practices, developing and nurturing relationships between SSG members, economic development organizations and corporate stakeholders, and contributing to policy discussions that affect location strategy and the future of the profession.
All members of SSG have been nominated and approved by their industry peers. As the first and only group of its kind, SSG brings together a dynamic network of site selectors from around the world, combining their talent and expertise to create an invaluable, top quality resource for both corporations seeking site selection assistance and economic development organizations.
For more information, visit siteselectorsguild.com or follow @siteselectguild on Twitter.
SOURCE Site Selectors Guild
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