Seidensticker Resigns as JLDC Director

Jefferson Local Development Corporation (JLDC)Executive Director Eric Seidensticker announced during the Dec. 21 board meeting that he is stepping down. His resignation comes three months after a divisive board decision to purchase the Roberts building in Whitehall.

Seidensticker told The Monitor he is going to stay involved in economic development, and do so from Helena.

JLDC board Vice President Drew Dawson said he’s sorry to lose Seidensticker, a man he considers “very knowledgeable of economic development” who has had “lots of good ideas about where the JLDC should go.” Since starting as director in the summer of 2021, Seidensticker has accomplished a lot, Dawson said, including the selling of Whitehall’s historic Borden’s building (in August 2022, just a month before the board approval of purchasing the Roberts building), expanding the Sunlight Business Park and hiring Lindsey Graham as a Child Care Coordinator. He also hired project coordinator Leah Lewis and business manager Erin Carbajal. It is Lewis’s role to assist the JLDC and the county with distributing American Rescue Plan Act funding.

“Distributing the ARPA funds is one of the biggest things I’ve been proud of, starting with the late Terri Lewis,” Seidensticker said. “Terri and Leah have done a great job getting small grants out to businesses, assisted living facilities and other organizations. I’m also very proud of the child care projects in the county. These are investments that hopefully will pay off and generate long-term resiliency.”

The JLDC is an eclectic organization, Dawson said, one that deals with a broad range of issues, be it child care, housing, work force or tourism. Seidensticker understood this, Dawson said, as did Leonard Wortman, who is also leaving JLDC. Wortman served on the board as Jefferson County Commissioner. He was a staunch supporter of the Western Legacy Center, a museum and gift shop located in the Roberts building. New commission chair Cory Kirsch will take his place.

According to Dawson, it’s undetermined how the absence of Seidensticker and Wortman will change the direction of JLDC moving forward.

“What we have to do as a board is to look at the future of JLDC together and define it,” he said. “We are going a lot of different directions right now. We need to look through some sort of strategic plan together. We know what our mission is and we have a finite amount of resources and amount of people. We need to narrow down what we can do and what we can’t do.”

JLDC Chair Nick Hensleigh said the organization’s mission to “promote the general welfare of Jefferson County” will not change. There is much in place to build on, and much is thanks to Seidensticker’s efforts.

According to Hensleigh, the JLDC will prioritize the Sunlight Business Park – a 200-acre light industrial and high-tech business park five miles east of Whitehall – and will continue working with county commissioners on developing the South campus that was previously home to the Montana Developmental Center.

Another priority, Hensleigh said, is to work with the tenants of the Roberts building to renew lease agreements. Supportive of these endeavors, Seidensticker said he’s willing to stay on board until late February and will be available to help train his successor, who JLDC board trustees hope to find by working with Helena-based employment agency Westaff. Advertisements for the position have already gone out.

“They’ll do all the initial advertising and screening of applicants,” said Dawson. “We want to get an executive director on board as soon as possible – hopefully before Eric leaves. Then Eric will be able to assist with the orientation process, as he said he would. We’re grateful Eric is willing to help facilitate an easier transition.”

In the meantime, Seidensticker said he will keep the day-to-day operations steady and do his best to ensure his staff has everything they need to succeed.

“Sustainability is my big focus,” he said. “I also just want to make sure I’m available to my staff, to the board and to the executive committee. The new year is here and there is already a lot on the table. I look forward to seeing the hiring process get going and eventually handing the reins over to the next director.”

Hensleigh said he’s grateful Seidensticker is willing to assist with the transition. Fostering and incubating start-ups in the Borden’s building, securing grants and loans, owning and selling the building takes a tremendous amount of time, patience and perseverance, and Seidensticker was up for the task.

When the board voted in favor of purchasing the Roberts building at its Sept. 21 meeting by a slim margin of six ‘yes’ votes, two ‘no’ votes and four abstentions, Seidensticker knew all too well what kind of work was in store. Although it’s not exactly the economic development he had in mind – as real estate took up more of his time than he anticipated – he said he remains confident “at the end of the day, when I look back on my time as the JLDC director, I think there were a lot of sound moves that improved economic development in the county.”

Seidensticker said – although it’s clear there’s a lot of work to be done – he believes there will be even more opportunity for economic development in Jefferson County, and he wishes the board the best.

“I’m optimistic that economic development is going to become more important than ever,” he said. “I think in general it’s going to be a challenge but I am hopeful we can continue to rehab and be forward thinking and provide a better economy in Montana.”