Belknap EDC Names New Head

Sean Sullivan, chairman of the Belknap Economic development Council, announced that Justin Slattery was named executive director of the regional development corporation. Slattery succeeds Carmen Lorentz, who served as executive director since 2011. Slattery joined the organization in late February.
 
A New Hampshire native, Slattery graduated from the University of NH and has worked in both public and private sector positions for more than 12 years to build economic development opportunities in NH. Most recently, he worked at NH Department of Resources and Economic Development. He has served on several state boards and committees including the Governor’s Advanced Manufacturing Educational Advisory Council and the NH Community Development Finance Authority Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Advisory Committee. His career started as an aide to Governor John Lynch. He has worked extensively in talent management and acquisition positions for several leading New Hampshire firms and was employed by the Workforce Investment Act program working on workforce development projects statewide.
 
In this role, Slattery will be responsible for the development and delivery of programs and services designed to promote economic vitality in Belknap County and the greater Lakes Region. He will direct the organization’s budgets, grant administration, revolving loan fund, and strategic planning. Belknap EDC was founded in 1992, and is one of 10 non-profit regional development corporations in NH. The organization operates a $3 million revolving loan fund that provides financing for local businesses and partners with the NH Small Business Development Center and SCORE to provide technical assistance to local businesses. Recently, the organization has focused resources on workforce development programs, developing strategies to retain and attract young talent to the region, and supporting creative entrepreneurs.