James Roberson, who recently stepped down as president and CEO of the Research Triangle Foundation, is the new chairman of the board for the Research Triangle Partnership.

Roberson will serve a two-year term on the board of the group that is involved in economic development across 13 counties in and around RTP.

He continues to work with the Research Triangle Foundation as a consultant.

“Jim’s vast knowledge and experience in attracting and nurturing innovative, successful businesses will serve this region well as we embark on an ambitious strategy to attract jobs and opportunity to our 13 counties,” said Charles Hayes, the president and CEO of the Research Triangle Partnership.

Roberson takes the board post as the Partnership continues to roll out a five-year jobs creation initiative known as “Staying on Top: Winning the Job Wars of the Future.”

The goal of the plan is to create 100,000 jobs and increase employment in all 13 counties.

The Partnership is a public and private partnership covering Chatham, Durham, Franklin, Granville, Harnett, Johnston, Lee, Moore, Orange, Person, Vance, Wake and Warren counties

Also named to two-year terms were:

  • Vice Chairman: Robert Greczyn, Blue Cross & Blue Shield

  • Immediate Past Chairman: Southgate Jones III, BB&T

  • Treasurer: J.D. Solomon, CH2m Hill Inc.
    Secretary:Glen Newsome, Person County Economic Development Corp.

  • RTRP President and CEO Charles Hayes

    • Other executive committee members, elected to one-year terms, and the counties they represent are:

  • N.C. Representative. Gordon Allen (Person)

  • Chip Capps, Arcola Logging Co. (Warren)

  • Moses Carey, Piedmont Health Services Inc. (Orange)

  • N.C. Representative Stan Fox (Granville)

  • Terry Garrison, Vance-Granville Community College (Vance)

  • Ronnie Goswick, Franklin County Economic Development Corp. (Franklin)

  • Fred Hobbs, Hobbs, Upchurch & Associates (Moore)

  • Marvin Joyner, Central Carolina Community College (Lee)

  • Dianne Reid, Orange County Economic Development Corp. (Orange)

  • Henry Scherich, Measurement Inc. (Durham)

  • Harvey Schmitt, Greater Raleigh Chamber of Commerce (Wake)

  • Katherine Thomas, Progress Energy (Wake)

  • Johnson Tilghman, Investor/Developer (Harnett)

  • Tony Tucker, Chatham County Economic Development Corp. (Chatham)

  • Rick Weddle, Research Triangle Foundation (ex officio)

  • Tom White, Greater Durham Chamber of Commerce (Durham)

    • For a complete list of other board members, see: www.researchtriangleregion.org