PARKERSBURG — The Wood County Development Authority and the Parkersburg-Wood County Area Development Corporation will be hold their joint Annual Meeting at 4:30 p.m. Oct. 11 at the Parkersburg Country Club.

Paige Webster, owner and site selection consultant of Global Site Selectors, will be the keynote speaker. Webster will discuss what goes into the site-selection process, how sites are chosen or ruled out and how to be competitive for new projects.

Webster has worked with many projects in the aerospace, BPO’s, biotech companies, geo-thermal, wind and solar, warehouse/distribution, office projects, data centers, corporate centers, agri-business, mid- and large-sized manufacturing and the retail sectors, among others. He worked in site selection and economic development for over 30 years including with numerous foreign direct invest companies from around the world and companies throughout North America assisting their site-selection needs.

He is a former economic development director for the Greater Yuma Economic Development Corporation and the Northern Arizona representative for the Arizona Department of Commerce. During his tenure in Yuma, he also served on the Workforce Development Board and was a board member of the Arizona Association of Economic Development.

Webster is a board member of the Advisory Council of the Transatlantic Business and Investment Council, based in Berlin, Germany, and Atlanta, Ga.

The Wood County Economic Development fosters an economic environment supporting business, growth and new investment while attracting sustainable businesses and a quality labor force. The organization will promote and facilitate economic diversity, development and entrepreneurship within our community.

Those who are not members of the organizations, but would like to attend, can contact Kate Marlow at kate@developwoodcountywv.com.