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Bedford County Development Association chief recognized among top women CEOs

Marsh succeeded Slayton’s role as president/CEO in 2025

BEDFORD -- When Jennifer Marsh succeeded Bette Slayton as president/CEO of Bedford County Development Association in 2025, she was told she had big shoes to fill.

"Everyone said I had big shoes to fill; the woman was a force for 35 years. I say I have a new set of shoes. I was fortunate to work beside her and learned from her, that set me up for success. In the end, Bette felt comfortable in retiring, she knew I would take this role on and continue with the momentum of getting great projects done," Marsh said.

Marsh was recently recognized by Pennsylvania Business Central as one of the top women CEOs and leaders for 2026.

"It is really an honor, I tend to fly under the radar and not necessarily be in the spotlight. I was surprised since I have only been in the position for over a year," Marsh said.

Marsh was born in Iowa and her family moved to Frederick County, Md., when she was 3 years old.

She graduated from Gov. Thomas Johnson High School in Frederick in 1989. She attended Frostburg State University after high school, but had a family and did not pursue a degree at that time.

"I had a baby at 19 and college plans changed. I had multiple jobs, they ranged from residential and commercial sales, working in the floral industry, restaurants and radio sales," Marsh said.

She received a bachelor of science in communication, graduating summa cum laude from Walden University in 2019 and took a position at Meritus Health in Hagerstown as a physician liaison and later became director of corporate communications, doing internal and external communications and marketing. She worked at Meritus from 2010-21, where she worked under Mary Rizk.

"Her successful marketing relationships with the medical staff were instrumental in helping the rebranding (name changes) of our primary care practices to more closely align with Meritus Health. Jen was promoted several times during my close to 10-year tenure at Meritus Health, eventually replacing me (at my recommendation) as Director of Marketing Communications," Rizk said. "Jen has an impressive work ethic which seems to have no limits. Her energy and enthusiasm to work, not only as a leader, but also a team member, serves her well in any position she holds. In the years we worked together, she gained the respect of employees, clinical staff and physicians, health system leaders and community and business leaders. She is a quick learner, adapts well to new environments and business conditions and is a fierce advocate for her causes, both professional and personal."

"Meritus Health was the start of a career for me," Marsh said.

She moved to Bedford County in 2021 when her husband, Dr. Brian Stratta, accepted a job at Hyndman Area Health Center as chief medical officer.

She then got her job at BCDA.

"My husband's board chairman Tom Otis knew Bette (Slayton) and saw an ad in the Bedford Gazette and cut it out and sent it home with my husband saying 'please encourage her to apply,'" Marsh said.

The rest is history. In September 2021, she came to BCDA as vice president working with Slayton.

"I was brought in as the succession plan and thankfully Bette remained at the helm for four years, allowing me to work alongside and learn from her. The interview process for the position was intense. They made Bette and I go through personality tests, they wanted to make sure our personalities would mesh. We are two very strong women," laughed Marsh.

Marsh said she never imagined she would end up working in economic development.

"Health care and economic development are both about relationships and collaboration; that helped me prepare for this role. I had a good background and a great mentor in Bette Slayton so I could learn the ins and outs of economic development and our mission to create opportunities for our residents," Marsh said.

Slayton said it was a seamless and natural transition.

"I felt very fortunate that the person who would take the helm was already right here at BCDA. Jen Marsh had been with us for four years, and she had proven herself to be exactly the kind of leader BCDA and Bedford County needed for the future," Slayton said. "Jen is smart, high-energy and creative, with a clear vision for taking BCDA and Bedford County to a new level. Her upbeat personality and ability to build relationships allow her to work effectively with elected officials, business leaders, educators and the many other partners who are so important to economic development. Jen came to BCDA with a strong background in marketing, particularly in the medical industry. She quickly came up the learning curve on the many facets of economic development -- from financing, real estate and workforce development to grant writing and navigating the various government programs and bureaucracies that are part of our work."

Marsh said her primary duty is to create opportunities for job creation, working closely with existing businesses and recruiting new businesses to the area, and developing business parks and workforce housing, with a focus on quality of life and outdoor recreation.

"Our economic development is thoughtful and what we call a complete growth strategy. We knew we could not develop a new business park without workforce housing," Marsh said.

Numerous projects are in the works.

For example, ground was broken in July for the Bette Brown Slayton Business Park, which includes 44 acres and nine lots.

"We are getting ready to break ground for infrastructure to support a 50 townhouse development across from the Bette Brown Slayton Business Park," Marsh said. "Employers were telling us the lack of housing was negatively impacting their recruiting and retention efforts. We interviewed multiple builders. Bedford County has beautiful land, but doesn't have a lot of infrastructure to support the building of homes.

"Our newest multi-tenant building, the BCDA Business Center, home to Cell Con Inc., will welcome Burkett's Watch Me Grow childcare center in early 2027. With the building completely full, BCDA has plans to construct an additional multi-tenant building to assist new and expanding businesses with space. Childcare and housing have been identified as barriers for our workforce and is part of the reason BCDA has taken on these projects. Plans are already in the works for the development of Bedford County Business Park III," Marsh said.

"Working with our partners, my goal is to continue with thoughtful growth of the county," Marsh said.

Those in the business community are impressed with Marsh.

"What I appreciate about Jen is that her approach to economic development is fresh, she is not just trying to build business parks and bring in companies but she is trying to create a richer life for the people in the community. She has been a big supporter of outdoor activities and is a big supporter of recreation in Bedford County. She has a fresh take on economic development, she is trying to address housing needs for today and tomorrow," said Kellie Goodman Shaffer, president/CEO of the Bedford County Chamber of Commerce.

Marsh embodies the dynamic leadership required to propel Bedford County's economic future forward, said former BCDA board chairman Jeff Crist.

"She pairs her high energy and wisdom to navigate complex challenges. Her relentless drive is complemented by her ability to unite diverse stakeholders. Whether she is collaborating with engineering firms on infrastructure, aligning with financial institutions on funding, or engaging with politicians to secure support," Crist said. "Jen seamlessly bridges gaps across the entire professional spectrum. Her inclusive approach and decisive vision exemplify modern leadership, inspiring trust and engaging our community to build a thriving and economic landscape."

Present BCDA board chairman Michael O'Dellick calls Marsh "a hard-working, energetic, positive and passionate individual who is dedicated and focused on improving the quality of life in Bedford County through strategic economic development initiatives."

"She is the 'new-school' leader in economic development, as she has embraced a complete growth strategy for the county that includes childcare, outdoor recreation, workforce housing, entrepreneurship, new business park development and job creation. All the while supporting the needs of our existing employers," O'Dellick said.

"She is a natural at cultivating positive relationships with stakeholders and bringing stakeholders together to accomplish a common goal. She has a knack for fostering partnerships and relationships to get things done. She gets things done with a sense of urgency at an expedited pace and does so professionally, while bringing stakeholders along with her."

Marsh describes herself as scrappy, persevering and tenacious.

"I like projects that are challenging, moving them forward and getting things done. I don't give up, I like to overcome challenges. I come from a place of 'yes.' We identify what needs to be done and do it," Marsh said.

Marsh loves her job.

"I love it. It is always something new; I am continuously learning that is what I absolutely love. We are making a positive difference in our county and working quickly to accomplish several projects at the same time" Marsh said. "If you talk to the people I work with, I am known for getting things done."

In the community, Marsh is involved with several organizations. For example, she serves on the advisory committee of the Bedford Campus of Allegany College of Maryland, is a foundation member of the Bedford County Technical Center, is on the advisory committee of the Community Foundation for the Alleghenies, serves on the Consumer Advisory Council for the Public Utility Commission and the Pennsylvania Economic Development Association advocacy committee.

For fun, Marsh enjoys spending time at their cabin at Indian Lake boating, swimming and kayaking.

Marsh, 55, doesn't plan to retire any time soon.

"We have a lot of good projects to do. More economic development is at the top of my mind, that keeps me busy and that is what I like," Marsh said.

Mirror Staff Writer Walt Frank is at 814-946-7467.

The Marsh file

Name: Jennifer Marsh

Age: 55

Position: President/CEO of Bedford County Development Association.

Education: Graduate of Thomas Johnson High School, Frederick, Md., in 1989; graduate of Walden University with a bachelor of science in communication in 2019.

Family: Husband, Dr. Brian Stratta; three adult children and four grandchildren.

Quote: "I wanted to be a business person, I also had some great teachers and thought about teaching. My grandmother was a teacher so I considered education, and I also thought about health care and becoming a registered nurse."