Donald Hurst, President of the Cocke County Partnership, Newport, was re-elected to the board of directors of Areawide Development Corporation at its annual meeting Tuesday, Sept. 22, at Egwani Farms Golf Club in Rockford.

 Based in Alcoa, Areawide Development Corporation markets and processes U.S. Small Business Administration Section 504 loans to small businesses in partnership with banks to help finance capital projects. Board members set ADC policy and approve loan applications.

 Hurst has held a number of positions in economic development.  Cocke County Partnership is made up of the chamber of commerce, tourism council, and the economic development commission. Prior to leading CCP, Hurst was president of Carter County Tomorrow, LLC, in Elizabethton. He has also worked for the Tennessee Department of Economic & Community Development as a regional business consultant in Northeast Tennessee, has been a managing broker for a real estate and auction firm and worked for 20 years in retail with Belk department stores.

 He holds a bachelor's degree in marketing from the University of Tennessee, an MS in technology from East Tennessee State University and an MBA from East Tennessee State University. He is also a graduate of the Economic Development Institute, EDI, at Oklahoma University. Additionally, he holds the designation of Certified Economic Developer, CEcD, from the International Economic Development Council, IEDC, in Washington, D.C.