Changing of the Guard
The Community Development Corporation of Butler County is undergoing a leadership transition period until Sept. 30.
Until then, Diane Sheets, the former CDC executive director, is working as acting deputy director, while the organization's new executive director, Ken Raybuck, eases into the job.
Raybuck has 25 years of experience in banking and finance, and served on the CDC board of directors from 1998 to 2006.
Raybuck and his family moved to Butler in 1995, to serve as community bank president for Integra and then later National City Bank. He later worked for Century Bank that three buyouts later became Huntington Bank. He joined Tri-County Workforce Investment Board in 2009, where he worked to establish partnerships between manufacturing and technical businesses to train workers.
It was the CDC's reputation as a successful organization, plus his personal experience with the staff and board members that led Raybuck to apply for the position.
"These are great people and I am looking and learning from them and from Diane as long as I have her here," he said.
Sheets has served the CDC as the assistant to former executive director Art Cordwell. She became executive director in 2005.
Originally, Sheets had intended to resign completely from the CDC after a transition period, to spend time with her family, but on Oct. 1, she will move into the role of CDC manager of business development. In that capacity she will look for opportunities to increase the assets of the CDC, whether that be cash or land deals.
"I salute the board for getting Ken because he knows the industry we are in and he knows the history and culture of this organization," Sheets said. "And that puts us so far ahead."
As Raybuck learns what it is like to sit on the administrative side of the CDC desk, as opposed to the governance side, he is beginning to examine the role the CDC plays in the development of Butler County business and industry.
"I haven't defined any definite goals at this time, as I am still going through the (transition) process," he said.
"Our board is extremely active and this is an exciting time that we get to work through together," Raybuck said.
Raybuck lives in Butler Township with his wife, Karen, and their two sons.
