INSIDE Devil Monkey comes to Goochland - with ice cream! > page 2
Volume 57, Number 21 • May 24, 2012
Director of Economic Development likes saying yes to business By Ken Odor jodor@goochlandgazette.com
Photo by Ken Odor
Maureen Stinger samples a Frozen Wine Slurpee from Byrd Wine Cellars last Saturday at the Rassawek Spring Jubilee Wine and Heritage Festival in western Goochland.
Wine festival a success By Ken Odor jodor@goochlandgazette.com
Thousands of metro residents and visitors from out of town and out of state made the trek to the western end of Goochland County last weekend to check out the second annual Rassawek Spring Jubilee Wine and Heritage Festival. A lot of them were glad they came. Richmond resident Susan Naoroz brought her two boys and their grandparents, Patty and Frank Mercado, who were visiting from
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Denver, out to see what was going on. “You can’t beat this,” said Frank. “Beautiful country, something for the kids and then there’s the wine,” he said, summing up the variety of attractions. “This is the nicest wine festival I’ve ever been to,” said Midlothian resident Sandy Noell, as she watched her grandson Walker May, 3, pretending to drive an old farm tractor. Walker’s mom, Laura, commented on the variety of attractions
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Opinion 6 Sheriff’s Reports 12 Sports 15-17 TV Listings 18-20
Growing up in the family real estate business in South Carolina, Matthew Ryan’s father taught him to look for solutions and ways to say yes to get deals done. Now he plans to use those lessons in his new job as Goochland’s Director of Economic Development. Ryan, 31, grew up in Pawley’s Island, S.C., where his family has been in the real estate business for 40 years, he said. “Dad groomed me to take over the family business,” said Ryan, who is married with two young children. But he had other ideas. “I wanted to make my own mark,” he explained. “I didn’t like having my future and my family’s intertwined.” On the job just a few weeks, Ryan hopes to encourage new businesses to locate in Goochland and to keep those already here happy. For companies already doing business in Goochland, Ryan wants to create a business visitation program, meeting with them to learn about their needs. “We want to keep the people who are already here happy,” he explained. “They sometimes get lost in the shuffle.” A licensed broker since 2004, Ryan said his background in real estate development should serve him well. And he’s not afraid of hard work – while studying for his degree in political science at the College of Charleston, he worked as a property manager full-time, expanding his family company’s holdings. When it comes to bringing new development to Goochland County, Ryan says the county has unique qualities attractive to developers. Metro convenience with rural charm, a low tax rate, workforce availability, a good transportation network and quality of life are just some of the county’s selling points, according to the new director. Not to mention the amount of “raw land” available, he said.
Photo by Ken Odor
New Director of Economic Development Matthew Ryan already has plans to spur growth in the county.
And recent developments indicate a community ready to embrace growth, said Ryan, citing the approval of multi-family zoning for West Creek by the Goochland Board of Supervisors. “It shows the board of supervisors can make critical decisions. It was a great step on the board’s part,” said Ryan. To help prospective developers decide to come to the county, Ryan plans to examine how to “streamline the process for new business coming to Goochland,” which might involve making the see Director > page 3
SPORTS
INSIDE
Goochland races in JRD championships
Shriners looking for some kids to help
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