The Gladewater Economic Development Corp. announced Tuesday that Anna Conlan has accepted the Gladewater Executive Directors Job. She will report to work on October 1, 2024.
The GEDCO board interviewed three candidates and chose Conlan. She is from neighboring Gilmer and has extensive economic development experience and is familiar with the East Texas business community. With over 17 years of management experience in hospitality and convention sales, tourism, and economic development, Conlan was the Director of Sales at Performance Institute, a leading provider of research-based training and consulting for the public sector. She is a Certified Tourism Ambassador (CTA) and a graduate of two leadership training programs from the City of Frisco.
She replaces Michelle Palmer, who left for a similar position in Port Arthur, Texas.
In other GEDCO business from last week’s monthly meeting, the organization is currently working with East Texas Council of Governments to secure funding from the Environmental Protection Agency for brownfield remediation.
“This is a grant to map out what needs to be done on properties,” interim EDC director Scott Owens said, “and to get a plan in place to remediate those properties,” removing or at least sealing off contaminants at a site.
For example, a commercial space previously used as a laundromat might have contaminated the underlying ground. Land used for oil-and-gas extraction might also have lingering health hazards.
Some local properties have already been submitted for grant consideration Owen noted.
“Kilgore’s been using that,” board member Danny Darden noted – the neighboring community has used brownfield funds to decontaminate several viable properties for development, getting them back on the tax rolls.
“Instead of us having to go direct on this,” Owens added, “we’ll work through ETCOG.”
The board also unanimously approved a 50/50 partnership with Gladewater Chamber of Commerce to re-up promotion of the community through Expedition Texas.
According to Bob Mauldin, multi-platform show is kicking off its 18th season, available in markets throughout the Lone Star State.
“Expedition Texas is about lost history and abandoned buildings,” he said. “This season’s actually going to be a bit bigger – we have 18 new episodes,” including a spotlight on Gladewater.