STEUBENVILLE - Officials from Jefferson, Belmont and Monroe counties are to gather July 10 to discuss potential ways for the three counties to cooperate as a region in economic development initiatives.

A meeting was held Friday in St. Clairsville among economic development officials from the three counties with Kathy Gagin, field representative for U.S. Rep. Charlie Wilson, D-St. Clairsville. The group will be known as the JMB Partnership.

"This regional effort was discussed several years ago," Gagin said. "Congressman Wilson felt the timing was right to revive the concept and push it forward. Collaborative efforts such as the JMB Partnership will strengthen our stand and show community commitment across the board."

Charter members and co-chairmen of the partnership include Ed Looman, executive director of the Progress Alliance economic development organization from Jefferson County; Tom Scott, community developer for Team Monroe; Sue Douglass, executive director of the Belmont County Department of Development; and Larry Merry, director of the Belmont County Port Authority.

Economic regional efforts are under discussion or active in a number of ways, including formal organizations such as the Ohio Mid-Eastern Governments Association, the multi-county task force working for completion of a four-lane highway link between Columbus and Pittsburgh and the Regional Visioning Project, a 30-county, four-state effort.

Looman said the JMB Partnership has a role to play.

"It gets us together with two neighboring Ohio counties to talk about examining any opportunities there may be to work together," he said. "I think there are things we can learn from each other."

For example, Looman said Monroe County has a successful food incubator project. The Monroe County Kitchen Incubator developed a commercial-style kitchen in the former Midway School near Antioch, allowing local food artisans to work as manufacturers of locally produced food goods. It lets entrepreneurs prepare their foods for sale by using an inspected and licensed facility without having to go through the expense themselves.

"That could be something we could borrow, modify and bring up here," Looman said.

The organizational meeting for the JMB Partnership will be held on July 10 in the incubator kitchen. Looman said representatives from all three counties will be invited to help create the vision of the new partnership.

"We will encourage input at that meeting to determine how we move forward. The charter members will be looking to bring like-minded individuals together to start talking and sharing ideas on economic development for the area," he said.

Merry said the effort will be on sharing resources, talent and ideas.

"The end result, hopefully, will be creating a vision for the future of the three counties and working together to make it happen," he said.

"We want to encourage regional cooperation and economic development in business, industry, tourism and recreation.

"Our goal will be to work together to help create what could be a powerful economic shot in the arm for the area," Douglass said.

"From this point forward, we will be working together to move our counties forward," Scott said.

"Anything we can do to collaborate with our neighbors to make things happen is a step in the right direction," Looman said.

(Giannamore can be contacted at pgiannamore@heraldstaronline.com.)