By: Mat Cloak
The Parsons Advocate
Steven Leyh is the new Executive Director for the Tucker County Development Authority. He joins the Development Authority after many years of work in Cumberland, Maryland.
Much of his work in Cumberland was with the Downtown Development Commission. He began as a board member, then, he was hired as the Promotions Director. In August 2017, he was promoted as the Executive Director of the Downtown Development Commission. During the same period, he worked as the Promotions Director for the Maryland state agency, Canal Place.
“I was doing some soul searching, and if I could pick anywhere in the world to live, it’d be Tucker County,” Leyh said. He then saw the Executive Director job posting. Leyh stated that one reason he continued his work in Cumberland was its proximity to Tucker County.
One of his first objectives in his new position in Tucker County is to find businesses to use Development Authority property located in the Highlands Business Campus. The campus is an industrial park located off Corridor H. “Initially, my primary focus is to try and figure out who will be a good fit for that building,” Leyh said. “We have land to develop other projects out there.”
Outdoor recreation opportunities bring many to the area, but Leyh wants to sell the job opportunities of the area as well. “I think we can sell the lifestyle, but we can also try to tell people about the job opportunities that could be here.”
Housing is an issue that prevents some from sustaining in the county. “I think that’s going to be the million dollar question,” Leyh said. He plans to develop partnerships with local organizations to work on solving the housing problem.
Leyh would also like to develop the connection between Parsons and the highlands. “I want to make sure we are all one county,” Leyh said. He believes Parsons may play a role in solving the housing problem in the county.
Leyh was first exposed to the business community in Tucker County when he began Weekend Adventures, an outdoor recreation publication. Many of the publication’s advertisers were based in Tucker County. After Weekend Adventures, Leyh began Away Media. In addition to his marketing, development, and economics experiences, Leyh worked in the political sector as well, organizing and marketing for different campaigns in Maryland.
Fulfilling one of his life long goals to move to the area, Leyh is excited to be in the community. Anne Jones will work with Leyh over the next few weeks as the curtain falls on her work for the Development Authority.
