McKinley Perkinson has been selected to be the new director of the Henderson-Vance Economic Development Commission. She will begin her new role on Nov. 15, according to information from Vance County Manager Jordan McMillen.
Perkinson was marketing director for Maria Parham Health for four years and most recently has worked with Franklin County EDC as a project manager to enhance the county’s website and online presence for, among other things, economic development and tourism.
She told WIZS News that she is happy to be coming back to work in Vance County. She is no stranger to the role economic development plays in a community – her previous jobs have allowed her to interact with the economic development sector.
“I have always worked very closely with economic development,” she said, of her time with Maria Parham Health and before that as marketing and public relations manager of VCU Community Memorial Hospital in South Hill, Va. Hospitals located in smaller towns often drive the economy, she said. And “everybody wants their hometowns to have strong economies.”
Perkinson said she will draw from her education in communications and her experience to “be that great fit” for Vance County’s economic development. She said her short-term goal is to focus on the county’s current businesses and industry to make sure business leaders are aware of all resources available to help them, especially those financial resources that are a response to COVID-19.
She also will focus on the county’s strategic plan for economic development – goals for the next year, five years, and beyond – and looking for ways to make the likelihood for achieving those goals even greater.
“Economic development is not a job that solely falls on one person,” she said. “It is a team effort. You’ve got to have strong relationships with everyone to be successful.”
In a press release, McMillen said Perkinson “brings optimism, energy and passion for Henderson and Vance County and has proven to be a creative force in marketing in her past roles.” He added that she is well positioned to continue leading the effort of the county’s recent economic development successes. “McKinley is an outstanding fit for this role,” he said.
In the search for an economic development director, McMillen said the ideal candidate would be “creative, able to work with the community and local businesses to build relationships, and one who has passion for improving the community.”
Perkinson said she feels that timing is everything, and “this is my time to bring my skills and my experience” back home to Vance County. “Everything happens in its own time,” she added.
“I love Vance County – it’s home.”
