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By DEREK REDD
WHEELING -- Valerie Piko sees a bright future for economic development in Wheeling. That vision is pretty clear, seeing that she has a front-row seat.
Piko serves as program development manager at Regional Economic Development Partnership. She oversees the process of both expanding development within RED's radius of Ohio, Marshall and Wetzel counties, and retaining the development already in place. In that role, she works with both major corporations and mom-and-pop outfits to ensure their business futures are strong.
"I see myself as a concierge," she said, "connecting businesses to resources and making connections to help them thrive.
"I would be remiss if I didn't mention how excited I am for our region's future," she added. "Nearly every block of downtown Wheeling has private development taking place right now. We have new jobs, new experiences, and new opportunities being built."
Much of Piko's role with RED centers around relationship-building, something in which she believes she excels. She came to realize the importance of relationships and fostering them early in her professional life. At her first job out of then-Wheeling Jesuit University, she went on a scavenger hunt with her co-workers. The tasks ranged from asking a stranger for a bite of their food to switching clothes with a stranger.
At first, she simply looked at it as a fun team-building exercise. But she quickly realized the important lesson underneath.
"People will say 'yes' to almost anything if you ask them," she said. "The key is in having the confidence to make the ask. All these years later, I try to remember this experience when I get nervous. I take a deep breath and go for it."
One of the things she has loved about working in the Ohio Valley has been the ability to develop relationships with influential people throughout the region, and not having to work through multiple levels to develop them.
"I felt so welcomed by the community and immediately felt engaged in something special happening in Wheeling," she said. "I remember being in my 20s and thinking, 'Wow! I know an awful lot of movers and shakers.' The best part? In Wheeling, those movers and shakers invite you to join them in making a difference."
Creating and cultivating networks is essential in her role, and Piko believes that any young woman looking to enter the field of business development should build networks for herself any way she can. The people they meet in their fledgling years could be the people they spur to help local businesses -- or the business owners they're helping to grow -- later down the line.
"You never know where you may end up," she said. "With technology moving so quickly, the majority of future opportunities probably don't even exist today. The skill of making connections, however, will always serve you well. Use your network, as I have never had a job where I didn't have some kind of relationship to help get my foot in the door."