The West Virginia Council for Community and Economic Development announced today that David C. Satterfield has been named executive director of the West Virginia Development Office.

He has served in his present position as chief of staff and vice president for institutional advancement at West Virginia University since 1995. The University loaned his services to the state from January through May 2001, when he served as chief of staff for Gov. Bob Wise.

The Council is very pleased that we were able to attract an individual with Mr. Satterfield’s capabilities to assume leadership of the Development Office,said Ralph Bean, acting chairman of the Council, who also chairs the search committee.I can’t think of anyone who is better suited to this job than David Satterfield. This is one of the most important jobs in the state, requiring strong administrative skills and an ability to pull groups of West Virginians together to work cohesively to produce quality jobs for our state. David Satterfield is an outstanding leader and the right person to assist the Council in implementing the state’s economic development plan,West Virginia: A Vision Shared,’Bean said.

The Council launched an extensive search to fill the position during the first week of August. Advertisements in leading economic development publications across the nation sought qualified candidates. The search committee conducted several interviews before recommending Satterfield to the Council.

Bean said,”Members of the search committee were impressed with Mr. Satterfield’s strength in managing large, complex organizations and his familiarity with West Virginia. They referred to him as dynamic and results-oriented with high-energy and good people skills. They felt it was critical for the Development Office to have a strong leader who can work effectively with the Legislature, the governor and his staff.”

Satterfield served as chief adviser to the president of West Virginia University, guided the university’s government relations and coordinated internal administrative strategies for the institution. He oversaw various departments and functions and led special initiatives, many of which focus on economic development. In addition, he was a principal liaison with external groups representing a wide range of business and economic development.

I am delighted by the Council’s decision to hire David Satterfield,Wise said.I have the utmost confidence in him. He can and will be a strong advocate for business development.

In August, Wise announced that he plans to move the Governor’s Workforce Investment Office to the Development Office. That addition, the governor says, adds considerably to the duties of the development director.

One thing we expect David to do is make sure our efforts to train and educate working people are closely matched to the needs of businesses that we want to keep and attract,Wise said.

Satterfields experiences as WVU s liaison to government helped prepare him for his new responsibilities, Wise said.David has been instrumental in the implementation of Senate Bill 547 and Senate Bill 653 for higher education reform and served on Gaston Caperton’s Higher Education Advocacy Team, in addition to his experience at WVU . He helped me set up my administration and was key to the success we are experiencing today.

Responding to news of the appointment, David Satterfield said,It is an exciting time for West Virginia, and I look forward to working with all West Virginians to move the state forward. For the Development Office, the bottom line is quality of life and the prosperity of West Virginia’s economy. I know the Council will expect results, and I intend to work vigorously to achieve them.

Satterfield will begin work at the Development Office on Oct. 15 and will serve at the will and pleasure of the Council. Either party may terminate the agreement with 30 daysnotice. His salary of $175,000 will be paid by the Development Office, with the potential for incentive compensation up to 25 percent funded from the private-sector Council for Community and Economic Development.