A public-private partnership that works to attract and retain jobs in the Santa Clarita Valley announced its new CEO on Wednesday.
While SCV Economic Development Corp. officials said they searched nationally for their new chief, it turns out the solution was in their own backyard all along.
Jey Wagner, who joined the organization two years ago as vice president of workforce and economic development, was named as successor to Holly Schroeder, the organization’s president and CEO for the past decade.
“I am extremely grateful to Holly for her 10 years of impeccable leadership whereby SCVEDC’s mission has been consistently achieved and look forward to continued success under Jey’s leadership,” wrote the co-chair of the EDC’s governing board, John Shaffery, in an EDC news release. “The future of the EDC is in good hands, and we will continue to advance the organization’s mission of bringing high-quality jobs and economic resilience to the SCV.”
Schroeder expects to remain with the EDC through its biggest event of the year, a business forecast for local leaders and community members known as Economic Outlook, which is set for Sept. 15.
Wagner has a doctorate in organizational leadership from USC and a master’s degree in business administration from Purdue University.
Prior to joining the SCV EDC, he served as the senior vice president of employee engagement at Leadership Enrichment Partners; as a global professional development executive at Dale Carnegie Training, and president and CEO of Dale Carnegie Training of Greater Los Angeles and Ventura County.
“The SCV Chamber has had a very long and close working relationship with the SCVEDC, since it was formed by chamber leadership,” SCV Chamber President and CEO Ivan Volschenk said in an email Wednesday. “We are pleased for Jey on his promotion to lead the SCVEDC and look forward to continuing to work with him in his new role and to strengthen our partnership with the SCVEDC, as the two leading business organizations within the Santa Clarita Valley.”
Another local business leader said on background that Wagner’s experience and qualifications made him a clear choice early on in the search.
He has lived in the SCV with his wife and children for more than 30 years, according to a previous news release from the EDC.
“It is exciting that our final choice is a local resident with an outstanding business reputation and proven track record,” wrote SCVEDC co-chair Calvin Hedman in the EDC release. “We are pleased to have Jey take the helm and lead our dynamic organization. His experience is well-suited to hit the ground running in this new role and continue the great work the SCVEDC is doing in workforce development initiatives, business assistance and expansion efforts, and more.”
