Marion CAN DO, the non-profit economic development organization for the Marion community, has hired Gus Comstock as their new Director. Comstock comes to Marion with an extensive background of economic development experience in Chillicothe and Delaware.
The CAN DO board voted to hire him at their regular board meeting last week and Comstock plans to take the reins of CAN DO effective January 5, 2015.
Comstock is a Certified Economic Developer with a Master’s Degree from Ohio University and a Bachelor’s Degree from The Ohio State University. He began his career as Director of Development for the City of Chillicothe in 1994 and moved to Delaware in 2000 where he served as Economic Development Director for the city and then the county.
“He’s provided the communities where he has worked with a tremendous amount of economic development success,” said Dan Burkhart, founding board member of CAN DO and Interim Director. “Gus takes a very hands-on approach and forms relationships wherever he goes. This will be a key as he gets to know business owners in the Marion area and assists them with business retention and expansion which is the bread and butter of new jobs for the community.”
“He will also continue the ongoing projects we are working on that will bring new companies and jobs to Marion,” Burkhart added.
“I am delighted that Gus Comstock is coming to Marion,” said Howard Smith, Chairman of the CAN DO board. “Gus’s first love is working with industry and Marion is rich in that area of economic development. He will have plenty to do here,” he stated.
“I look forward to Gus helping us bring economic development and jobs to Marion,” said Dan Russell, Chairman of the Marion County Commissioners and a member of the CAN DO board and the Search Committee.
CAN DO provides economic development services under contract to Marion city and county. Funding for the organization has traditionally been provided one half from the public sector and the other half from the private sector and return on business investments. During 2014, the city and county each provided $41,000 in funding.
CAN DO says that payroll from companies they have brought to Marion since its founding in 1993 total over $49 million dollars per year with income taxes paid to the city totaling over $216,000 and increased property taxes to the county of over $261,000 annually.
Members of the Search Committee included Mayor Scott Schertzer, Commissioner Dan Russell, Rex Parrott, Dan Deville, Howard Smith and Dan Burkhart.
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