Wilkins leaves SLVDRG post; Anne Jones named Exec. Dir.

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ALAMOSA — Kevin Wilkins has resigned as Executive Director of the San Luis Valley Development Resources and taken a position as City Administrator in Ogallala, Neb. He submitted his resignation to the SLVDRG Executive Board on June 20, and it became effective July 18.

“I find it interesting that I’ve been presented an opportunity to do something I’ve never done before — within 30 miles from where I started my career as a newspaper publisher — and I will call upon experiences I have had in the San Luis Valley in my next venture,” Wilkins said.

Wilkins became Executive Director of SLVDRG in November 2016 after a stint as Economic Development Administrator with the City of Yuma, Ariz.

“The San Luis Valley has been one of the most fascinating and interesting places I’ve worked in my career,” Wilkins said. “There is a uniqueness here that may exist in few other places.”

During his nearly six-year tenure at SLVDRG, Wilkins focused the organization’s economic development work on providing financing for new and expanding businesses and cultivating community-driven efforts to expand economic opportunity throughout the San Luis Valley.

“I am most proud of incubating San Luis Valley Great Outdoors (SLV GO!) and being part of the organization as it is today,” said Wilkins. “We also more than doubled the size of our business loan portfolio and it will remain in very good hands.”

The Executive Board named SLVDRG Chief Financial Officer Anne Jones to be the organization’s next Executive Director. Jones has served in the CFO position since joining the organization in 2016 following a career in banking.

“Anne and I have led as a team for the past six years and I have utmost confidence she will maintain the strength of the organization,” Wilkins said of Jones’ appointment. “I am pleased the board had the foresight to appoint Anne as executive director in alignment with an established succession plan.”

Jones said her immediate task will be to concentrate on ensuring the continuity of SLVDRG’s work, particularly focusing on the business loan fund and the organization’s role as a certified economic development planning agency, as designated by the U.S. Economic Development Administration.

More information about San Luis Valley Development Resources Group is available at www.slvdrg.org.