Josh Jefferson

Josh Jefferson’s life contains commonalities throughout that display who he is to his friends, family, coworkers and community, including long-term human interconnectivity, mentoring and volunteerism.

As the president and CEO of the Regional Economic Development Partnership (RED)—whether he is navigating business deals with oil and gas leaders, improving West Virginia’s Northern Panhandle’s employment prospects or serving as a volunteer board member for organizations like WVU Reynolds Memorial Hospital and Grand Vue Park—Jefferson’s focus is on people.

Jefferson’s earliest memories of his family bond and extended support network left a lasting impression on him.

“I was fortunate to be born in Moundsville and blessed to be surrounded by loving family members, great neighbors and a caring community,” he says. “I never take that for granted. It formed a solid foundation of the person I hoped to be and I am a reflection of the great people surrounding me.”

Those early familial relationships coupled with his first work experiences were the basis for a hearty work ethic and understanding of the importance of perseverance. His first job was delivering The Intelligencer with help from his mom, dad, brother and grand­father out of the back of a pickup truck.

These experiences taught Jefferson the value of working hard and helping his fellow man.

“My family worked with a variety of people, and their relationships with their coworkers, customers, tenants, students and the public were always quite sincere,” he says. “They were able to build real friendships that lasted well beyond their professions.”

Jefferson’s first gig after graduating from West Virginia University (WVU) was under the tutelage of Steve Douglas, CEO of the WVU Alumni Association.

“Steve was the absolute best at building and keeping sincere relationships with people from across the country,” says Jefferson. “The sincerity he had when talking with someone was something to witness.”

When Josh moved back to West Virginia, he worked for 17 years as the project coordinator for RED with another master of his craft, Don Rigby.

“Don is an incredibly strategic thinker,” Jefferson recalls. “His talent in making deals work and closing them resulted in some of the most impactful projects our state and our region have seen in recent history, creating millions in investments and thousands of jobs. I was incredibly fortunate to have his leadership.”

When Rigby retired in the waning days of 2020, Jefferson was named his successor.

Despite a hectic schedule and family life, he still finds time to donate to organizations he feels strongly about. He serves as an executive committee member for WVU Reynolds Memorial Hospital, a member of the Northern Panhandle Workforce Development Board and a board member for Easterseals WV and the WV Route 2 and I-68 Authority. He is also a member of the West Virginia Economic Development Council, Wetzel County Oil & Gas Task Force, Natural Gas Task Force of Marshall County, Marshall County Chamber of Commerce and Wetzel-Tyler County Chamber of Commerce, where he serves on the economic development committee.

Jefferson’s love of his home state of West Virginia has been described as contagious by those who know him, and he has great hope for the future.

“We are positioning to provide a great future and provide young families opportunity and growth,” he says. “I love being part of the team helping people realize West Virginia is an untapped gold mine of people, experiences and investment potential.”