Scott Poag, W&A’s Director of Business Development since 2017, has been involved in economic development in the southeast for almost 10 years. During that time he has announced over $1,600,000,000 in new capital investments and over 6,800 net new jobs in the communities he has served. He was named as a 40 Under 40 Rising Star in Economic Development by Development Counselors International and currently serves as the Southeast Regional Director for the Southern Economic Development Council and as a board member of the Georgia Chamber of Commerce.
Scott’s passion for economic development comes from its multi-faceted nature and the personal component that requires getting to really know a community in order to help them. “It’s complex and that’s what makes it fun, especially when you are talking about small town, rural America. There’s no silver bullet. Each community is different and communities have to figure out what makes their town unique. Of course, there are standard elements that come to mind when you think about how to attract businesses, but, these days, businesses are no more uniform than the communities who want to attract them, and you have to have strong leadership and a vision that can be supported by the strengths of your community.”
In his role at W&A, Scott not only leads the overall business development and marketing efforts of the firm but also provides economic development consulting services to clients. When asked why he came to W&A and what makes W&A unique in its approach, he responded, “There is a difference between dirt and a site. Many communities think that, because they have undeveloped land, they have a site and should be able to attract a company to build a facility or a commercial developer. W&A has all the core elements in-house that are needed in land development, and we know how to put together the best teams to meet the needs of the project. Our team is made up of people who have sat at every seat at the table when it comes to economic development, and there are very few firms that can say that.”
Scott’s approach to economic development is a reflection of W&A’s commitment to Building Better Communities, One Client at a Time.
May 2019