Apr 5, 2022 3 min read

Ben Brown will be resigning as chief executive officer of the Mon Valley Alliance at the end of the month.

The announcement was made Monday by John Easoz, chairman of the board of directors of the Mon Valley Alliance and Mon Valley Alliance Foundation.

Brown’s last day is April 29. He was hired by the alliance in January 2019 for the newly created position of director of operations. Four months later, he was appointed chief executive officer.

“It’s a hard place to leave,” Brown said Monday. “The Valley is a special place and it gets in your heart. It becomes a piece of you. It takes a group of committed citizens and elected officials and businesses to all come together to realize what needs to be done and then start the hard work of actually doing it. It is such a joy to see things come to fruition.”‘

Brown will remain involved in the area, joining a financial services company in Washington County. A search for Brown’s replacement will begin immediately.

“Ben’s real estate, business development and communications skills made Ben the perfect fit as the CEO of MVA and MVAF,” Easoz said. “Ben has taken the MVA to a new level with his ability to effectively develop and manage a variety of important projects for the organization and leaves the MVA in a significantly stronger position than when he arrived four years ago. He worked tirelessly to help the Mon Valley become a better place for its citizens and businesses. We cannot thank him enough for that and wish him all the best on his future endeavors.”

Mon Valley Alliance and Mon Valley Alliance Foundation were formed in April 2016, out of a merger of the Middle Monongahela Industrial Development Association and the Mon Valley Progress Council.

During his tenure as CEO, much has been accomplished. More than 250 small and medium-sized businesses have been helped in some way over the last two years, Brown said.

“We were able to continue the work that was done six years ago to create an organization that stands by itself and has a path forward,” Brown said. “I believe that the alliance is on a very firm foundation. We have a plan in place for the next couple of years.”

Brown cited projects such as Riverfront Park in Charleroi, the micro loan program, which secures loans of up to $50,000 for start-up businesses or other small business that can’t secure other types of funding, and the Regional Enterprise Zone, in which businesses receive state tax credits.

“In the last two years, we’re almost at $3 million invested on the Valley into businesses,” Brown said. “That’s significant money to be able to bring to our area.”

Brown thanked the MVA/MVAF Board of Directors for developing, supporting and encouraging transformational projects in the Mon Valley.

“The MVA is a truly unique organization that has been on the forefront of community and economic development projects in our area for over 55 years. As the needs of our area have changed over the years, so has the MVA, and that credit is to the leadership provided by the board of directors,” Brown said.

Easoz and the MVA board will lead the organization until a replacement is found.