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“All my experience over the past 10 years has been unwittingly training me for this job,” Neil Morrow said about his recent appointment as executive director of the Ketchum Community Development Corp.
Morrow, who will take over the nonprofit’s top position on Jan. 20, will arrive from Pittsburgh, Pa., where he spent eight years as a board member, and one-and-a-half as president, of the Mount Washington Community Development Corp.
While that organization represents an urban neighborhood of about 13,000 residents, it has similar goals to that of its counterpart in Ketchum, Morrow said.
“We had our issues about development versus non-development, but we tried to build consensus and move forward in a positive manner,” he said. “For me, I was really able to learn a lot about working in a small community.”
In addition to this volunteer work, Morrow founded and operated Ibex Realty, which developed both commercial and residential projects, with an emphasis on working with the community throughout the process.
Morrow, an avid cyclist and skier who holds a law degree from Duquesne University, also spent the past two years helping homeowners appeal their property assessments, which, he said, in Pittsburgh, led to inequitably high taxes.
Despite espousing the beauty of Mount Washington, and its panoramic view of the rest of the city, Morrow said it’s long been a dream of his to move to the WoodRiverValley.
Having first visited Ketchum in 1976 when he was a teenager, the 45-year-old Morrow said that he’s returned many times since and had been seriously considering the move for the past couple of years, but was waiting for the right opportunity. The position with the CDC offered him just that.
“It has not been an easy or a short process, finding a way to make the move,” said Morrow, who volunteered during the Dalai Lama’s visit to the WoodRiverValley in 2005. “Most importantly, I wanted to come in as a community member, not as someone contracted for a job.”
With his new position, Morrow will become intricately involved with numerous aspects of the community. The CDC is divided into five teams tasked with developing affordable housing, alternative transportation and the city’s overall economic vitality.
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Neil Bradshaw, president of the CDC’s board and head of the Village Technologies Team, which helped bring WiFi to Ketchum, said Morrow was selected from over 60 applicants. He said the fact that he had been a frequent visitor but had never lived here would be a benefit to the organization.
“In my eyes, we have hired an ‘out-of-town’ local,” Bradshaw said. “This brings with it a fresh perspective as well as deep respect for both the town's history and our wonderful community.”
Morrow will start the new year with plenty of work to be done, including moving past the hurdle left by his predecessor, Gary Rapport, who left under ignominious circumstances. Arrested in July on a decade-old burglary charge from California, Rapport brought negative publicity to the two-year-old CDC, which was striving to break into the consciousness of a community inundated with nonprofits.
Despite the significant setback, the CDC, led by the heads of the five teams, continued moving forward during the six-month interim between executive directors.
At the forefront is a plan to build 32 affordable rental units on the city-owned lot adjacent to the Wood River Community YMCA. Michael Carpenter, chairman of the Affordable Workforce Housing Team, said the CDC should find out in January if it will receive $7 million in federal tax-credit financing necessary to fund the project.
Other projects already underway include a “wayfinding” project to allow visitors to find their way around town and continued input on possible uses for Guyer Hot Springs.
“Neil will help with these projects, as his years with a neighborhood CDC brings with it an experience and determination to see community projects through to completion,” Bradshaw said. “With the hiring of Neil, the CDC now has the structure to channel the community's energy in a coherent and coordinated way to enhance project success.”
Though the CDC has over 60 volunteers, Morrow will be the only paid member and will likely make between $60,000 and $80,000, the advertised salary for the position. Rapport was scheduled to earn $80,000 per year before he resigned. Tom Hudson, the organization’s first executive director, was contracted for $175,000 per year. The CDC’s budget includes $120,000 from the city. Other revenue streams include fundraising and grants.
Faced with a tight budget and a busy schedule, Morrow said he hasn’t set any priorities yet, other than to keep his ears open.
“The goal of my first 30 to 90 days will be to meet everyone and listen more than talk,” he said. “I want to come in with a completely open mind and help take a fresh look at the issues facing the community.”
Morrow said he has been reading the Mountain Express to follow Ketchum-related issues, such as the proposed Warm Springs Ranch Resort, which has proved divisive for many city residents. He said he looks forward to increasing the number and participation of volunteers.
“Some of the job will be letting people know that they are the stakeholders here and that the CDC is available if they have input on how to make positive changes,” Morrow said. “There’s a lot that can be done during this challenging time, and if we can work together as a community, then we can come out ahead of the curve when things turn around.”
New Ketchum Community Development Corp. Executive Director Neil Morrow sits in his 1964 Austin Cooper S during the 2007 Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix. The Pittsburgh resident and vintage auto racing enthusiast will move to Ketchum in January to take over the top position of the nonprofit organization. Photo by
