A Hurricane native has been named president of the county's Chamber of Commerce.
Ashley Alford was officially named to the position on July 24. She began working at the chamber as an intern in 2010 and has continued to work for the organization in varying capacities since. She replaces former president Marty Chapman. Alford most recently served as the chamber's vice president.
As president, Alford said she hopes to continue to serve and grow business in the county and help young entrepreneurs and start ups launch in Putnam County.
Alford said she is particularly excited about continuing to grow Area 34, a co-working space along W.Va. 34, something she helped launch in the county.
Area 34, which houses several businesses, also has space available for chamber members and members of the community to utilize for meetings and events.
The Putnam County Chamber of Commerce currently has about 470 members. Alford said one of her top priorities is to continue to grow that number and attract new businesses to Putnam County.
"It's an advantage that we have wide variety of businesses. We have large manufacturers like Toyota. And we have small, unique businesses like Bear Wood Company and the Hidden Creek Mercantile," she said. "There's huge variety. Not matter what size business you are, we're a good place to grow that business."
Alford is a graduate of West Virginia University with a degree in public relations and business administration. She is past chairwoman of Generation West Virginia, and the local organization Generation Putnam. She also serves on boards for the Putnam County Parks and Recreation Commission and the Putnam County Convention and Visitors Bureau.
Another goal is to help attract young entrepreneurs to Putnam County. Situated between the Capital City and Huntington, Alford said she thinks Putnam County is the perfect place for young people, looking to attract a strong customer base to their business.
"A ton of young people live here and work here. It's an amazing place to start a family, which is a benefit for us recruiting and retaining," she said. "I'm thankful for the opportunity. I love Putnam County and I value all of our businesses here."
For more information about the Putnam County Chamber of Commerce, visit putnamchamber.org.
Reach Carlee Lammers at Carlee.Lammers@wvgazettemail.com, 304-348-1230 or follow @CarleeLammers on Twitter.