End of an Era: Vardaman to retire from Selma-Dallas County EDA

After 23 years of attracting business and industry to Selma-Dallas County, the leader of the Economic Development Authority has announced plans to retire by the end of the year.

Wayne Vardaman, executive director of the Selma Dallas County Economic Development Authority since 2002, said he will stay on the job on a slightly modified schedule for the next few months as the EDA board searches for a new executive director.

And he says he will help the new person transition into the job.

Business leaders across the region recognize Vardaman as a force in economic development, citing his time as chairman of the Alabama Workforce Development Council and the Rural Committee for the Economic Development Association of Alabama’s Board of Directors.

James Patterson, Selma-Dallas County EDA Board chairman, said serving with Vardaman for the last seven years has “been a privilege.”

When Vardaman took the job heading up the EDA, “he didn’t have a whole lot of guidelines,” so Patterson said he created the job. Vardaman recruited as a result of people he has met over the years and developed a friendship with. “It’s all about relationships,” Patterson said.

After working in private industry for 23 years, Vardaman was named executive director of the EDA and later that year was also named president and CEO of the Center for Commerce, the umbrella organization that includes the EDA and the Selma Dallas County Chamber of Commerce.

In his two decades, Vardaman has helped expand at least 14 existing businesses in Selma and Dallas County, creating 2,837 jobs at a capital investment equaling $1,015,727,823, according to Selma-Dallas County EDA stats. He has brought in 27 new industries, bringing with them 2,076 jobs and a capital investment of 449,168,500. He was also instrumental in attracting and securing the nation’s first remote air traffic control center located at Craig Field.

Even though he has announced his retirement, Vardaman still has deals in the works. At the May 12 Dallas County Commission meeting, he asked the commission for an abatement for a company planning to locate in Dallas County.

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Vardaman said he can’t reveal the name of the company for the next 30 to 60 days, but the company will bring up to $300 million in capital investments. While the company won’t bring many new jobs, having it in Dallas County will help attract other businesses and industries, he said.

“There are 36 companies located here,” Vardaman said, most of which he helped bring to the county. He said that it’s frustrating when people say, “Y’all don’t have any manufacturing. Y’all don’t have any jobs. That is so far from the truth.”

Vardaman said Dallas County boasts a number of industries in forestry, manufacturing, automotive-related and numerous aviation-related industries at Craig Field.

Jim Corrigan, executive director for Craig Field, said Vardaman deserves a gold medal in business development for Selma-Dallas County.

"In his 20 plus years of service, he has brought in numerous business ventures and has helped to boost these economies,” Corrigan said. “His credibility at the state level and knowledge of business development has made my life much easier. I will miss his expertise and friendship as he eases into retired life.”

Vardaman, who played football for legendary University of Alabama Coach Paul Bryant, said he is concerned about retiring because Bryant and University of Pennsylvania Football Coach Joe Paterno died shortly after retiring.

“I’m not the kind of person that’s going to be able to just go home,” Vardaman said. “This arrangement gives me a chance to transition into retirement.”

The new schedule has Vardaman in the office three days a week, but he will be available by phone. He said most of his business is conducted over the phone anyway.

When he is not in the office, his “second in charge, Kathy King, does a fantastic job of keeping the office going.”