Pike County native returns to lead economic development

Published 10:24 pm Friday, November 6, 2020

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The Board of Directors of the Pike County Economic Development Corporation announced that Chase Cobb has been hired as the new Director of Economic Development. Cobb will fill the vacancy left by the retirement of Marsha Gaylard.

“We were diligent and expansive in our search for a new director,” John Ramage, Chairman of the Pike County Economic Development Corporation said. “We could not be more excited about the knowledge, experience and love for Pike County that Chase Cobb will bring to this position.”

Cobb, a Pike County Native and graduate of Pike Liberal Arts School, the University of Alabama at Birmingham and Jones School of Law, has spent the last 6 years as the Director of Government Affairs for the Association of County Commissioner of Alabama where he represented county governments before the Alabama legislature, state agencies and worked directly with county officials across the state on a variety of local government projects.

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Cobb and his wife, Rachel Folmar Cobb will relocate with their son, John Wagner, from Montgomery back to Pike County. He will start work on November 9.

“We are so excited to be coming home and to raise our son in the place where we grew up.” Cobb explained. “Pike County has grown so much in the past decade and I am honored to have the opportunity to partner with the county, the cities of Troy, Brundidge, Goshen and Banks and the Pike County Chamber of Commerce to help grow the county even more.”

City of Troy Mayor Jason Reeves believes that Cobb will bring a different perspective to the organization. “Chase has an accomplished career on the state level that has allowed him to develop relationships with state and local officials across Alabama. He will be able to capitalize on those relationships and that skillset to help us recruit even more industry to our area and to help our existing industries thrive, grow and expand.”

Pike County Commission Chairman Robin Sullivan called the hire a “gamechanger” and says that Cobb will “help take our economic development strategy to the next level.” “I have watched this young man grow up in Troy, and we are proud to have him back home,” Sullivan continues.

The Pike County Economic Development Corporation plays an integral role in industrial and economic recruitment in Pike County.