Clay County Economic Development staff members are dedicated to fostering economic growth by efficiently managing and collaborating on day-to-day tasks within our organization. Each team member brings valuable expertise in economic development and marketing and a strong professional commitment to Clay County's success and growth.
Jim Hampton
Executive Director
Jim Hampton has served over 20 years as the EDC’s executive director.
I have been fortunate to work with community leaders who believe in "Long-Term Sustainable Economic Development." To achieve this goal, we have always collaborated with our members and friends to ensure that Clay County is the top choice for businesses looking to locate or expand.
Our proudest accomplishments as an economic development organization have come from working together. Some examples include Certified Work Ready Communities, the Ford 20/20 Task Force, Communities of Excellence, the Northland Education and Business Alliance, the National Small Business Lender of the Year, the Strategic Plan Steering Committee, and the Small Business Bootcamps.
Incredible communities like Clay County have an education system that produces an educated and talented workforce, excellent transportation networks, state-of-the-art technology, affordable housing, and abundant leisure and recreational opportunities.
These have always been and will continue to be the goals of our members and friends. By working together, we can maintain and improve our community.
Bridget Mendoza
Community Engagement/Membership
Bridget, a very proud Clay County Northland resident, joined our organization to help with membership growth. We noticed her talent in adding value to our members, and since then, she has developed and launched our new CRM to benefit all our members. She is also currently working on creating a new website for our organization. We believe she is the perfect representative for our organization as the community engagement person for the CCEDC, as the community tends to like, respect, and trust her. She has always been community-focused, having served on many 501(c)(3) boards. On behalf of the CCEDC, she is a very dedicated co-chair and is on the board for the Northland Workforce Development Center (NWDC). She has always been an active member of Chambers throughout the Kansas City Metro area and is currently serving as the Chair of the Board of the Liberty Chamber, Rotary, Briarcliff Business Partner Alliance, and so much more. It was easy for Bridget to join us in our endeavor because it aligned with her values. She believes in working for the greater good of the community. She understands that working with the CCEDC is definitely a service-oriented industry and gives it her all every day.
Rickey Pierce
Director of Loan Operations
Rickey Pierce is the Director of Loan Operations he has over 20 years of banking experience with most of his career spent in commercial lending. Rickey specializes in lending to small and medium size businesses, and he’s responsible for educating bankers and small business owners about the 504 program and its benefits. While involve with several non-profits in the northland Rickey continues works hard to help grow and build the northland community.