New housing and revitalization coordinator named for Martinsville-Henry County

Richmond native Jeffrey Sadler has been hired as the new housing and revitalization coordinator for the Martinsville-Henry County Economic Development Corp. 

Sadler formerly worked as associate director of the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development's Community Revitalization Office. He is also the principal and lead consultant for Complete Community Economies LLC, which specializes in comprehensive revitalization plans for transitioning localities, including housing options, business development efforts and tax-base renewal and strengthening.

“Having a point of contact, someone with access to all of the relevant information, and resources available to the community, greatly streamlines the process and demonstrates the serious effort being applied to moving housing and revitalization-related projects forward in our community,” Martinsville City Manager Leon Towarnicki said in a statement.

Henry County Administrator Tim Hall added, “This community has done and continues to do a good job of providing job opportunities for our residents. The logical next step is enhanced residential space because the workers need a place to live. Buying or renting a home really is the fabric of a great community, and we are excited that someone with Jeff Sadler’s experience and talent will help us move forward.”

Funding for the position will be supported by The Harvest Foundation, which has worked since December 2018 to convene stakeholders and other officials in a community conversation about housing.

Mark Heath, president and CEO of the Martinsville-Henry County Economic Development Corp., said, “We are excited to have Jeff come on board at this important stage in our overall development efforts. Martinsville-Henry County’s success in increasing the tax base and recruiting new jobs has led to the realization that we need updated apartment and housing stock across multiple income levels. Jeff’s expertise will greatly enhance the [economic development corporation's] talent development efforts.”