Nearly 100 members of the Eastern Ohio Development Alliance (EODA) gathered at the Muskingum County Conference and Welcome Center on Friday, November 21, 2025, to congratulate Jim Schoch, Executive Director, on his retirement. Mr. Schoch has served as director since 2015. Prior to being executive director, he was the treasurer and a long-time board member. Keynote speaker for the meeting was J.P. Nauseef, President & CEO of JobsOhio. Mr. Nauseef provided a comprehensive and exciting update on the development activities in Ohio. During the meeting, EODA’s board of directors approved hiring Cindi Metz-McClung to begin serving as director on January 1, 2026. Ms. Metz-McClung has over 30 years of experience in economic development. She retired as a finance director for the Ohio Mid-Eastern Governments Association in 2023. Pictured L to R:  Gwynn Stewart, EODA President; Jim Schoch, EODA Executive Director; Bill Arnett, EODA Vice-President; and J.P. Dutton, EODA Past President.