PULASKI (WSLS 10) – After 16 years of serving the community, Pulaski Economic Development Director Dr. John B. White will retire.
Pulaski Town Manager, Shawn Utt made the announcement in a release on Saturday.
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White's retirement will go into effect June 30, 2017.
"John and I have discussed his transition for several months," Utt said. "Including a year when he volunteered as Economic Development Consultant, he will have served the community for 16 years upon retirement."
"John has provided counsel to three Town Managers, over a period a significant economic change for the Town," Utt said. "In an economic development report written in 2002, he alerted us to the probable loss of our traditional economic base, furniture and textiles, that would affect every neighborhood, and he suggested a path forward that would require embracing technology and advanced manufacturing."
With the recruitment of MTM and James Hardie Building Products in 2005-06, Pulaski set about creating jobs for the modern, post-NAFTA economy.
Utt says while the transition has not been easy for the community, White's steady, optimistic "Pulaski's best days are ahead" philosophy was an antidote to the inevitable "ain't it awful" feelings wrought by economic transition.
"The timing of this announcement is intended to give the Town Manager and his staff an opportunity to reorganize economic development looking towards a future of a community that is more diverse in its economic base, " White said. "Our fortunes lie with pulling together a vibrant Downtown, encouraging small-business development, an entrepreneurial spirit, and building an asset-based economy celebrating our great natural beauty. " White went on to say, "We are a welcoming and increasingly diverse community. Folks are seeking such places to live, work, and play."
Over the next year, White will continue to work on projects such as the renewal and repurposing of Downtown buildings, grant administration for a series of successful, recent grants, representing the community on various regional committees, and assisting with the transition to new leadership.
White returned to his hometown of Pulaski to care for elderly relatives after a career in higher education as a college professor, academic dean, and college president.
"My lasting memory of this important stage of my career has been working with colleagues, fellow employees of the Town," White said.
"They are wonderfully committed group, and I have been honored to serve with them."
Since returning, he has also been the author of two books about Pulaski history, Pulaski in Images of America (Arcadia Press, 2008) and Pulaski's Story (Tech Express, 2013). The proceeds of each book go the The Raymond F. Ratcliffe Memorial Transportation Museum. He and his wife, Jennifer, live on Seventh Street.