The Board of Directors of the Pike County Economic Development Corporation (EDC) expresses its full and unwavering support for Executive Director Ashley Polen-Willis and her leadership of the organization.
Recent social media posts have questioned motives, methods, and transparency of both the Pike County EDC and local elected officials. As the governing body of the EDC, we believe it is important to provide clarity and reaffirm our commitment to responsible and community-focused economic development.
Our Executive Director serves with direct oversight of the EDC Board of Directors. Each year, she prepares a comprehensive Plan of Work that is reviewed and formally approved by the Board. The plan is also publicly shared annually with Pike County officials to ensure alignment and to keep government leadership informed of the EDC’s strategic priorities. In addition, the planning documents currently circulating on social media are not new. They are excerpts from materials presented and discussed in public meetings over the past decade, reflecting a longstanding commitment to transparency and thoughtful, long-term planning.
At this time, there are no active data center projects proposed in Pike County. Should a project of this nature, or any major development opportunity be presented in the future, it will undergo a thorough and deliberate evaluation before gaining the support of our Board. Each potential project is assessed on its individual merits, including economic impact, environmental stewardship, infrastructure capacity, and the overall community benefit. We do not believe in categorically accepting or rejecting any specific industry or project type. Instead, we follow a principle-based approach: we will neither say “never” nor automatically say “yes,” but will ensure that every opportunity is responsibly and comprehensively vetted.
Successful economic development organizations depend on trust, collaboration, and strong partnerships among public officials, private investors, and community stakeholders. Through Ashley’s outstanding leadership, we are very proud that Pike County has built a solid foundation on these same principles.
Further, we recognize that the citizens of Pike County are indeed stakeholders in this partnership. Over the next few months, we look forward to sharing more about our strategies, efforts, successes, and challenges and we invite all to follow these conversations on our social media platforms.
Sincerely,
Pike County Economic Development Corporation
Board of Directors
