John Healy

The Chautauqua County Industrial Development Agency has added John Healy to its board following his approved appointment by the Chautauqua County Legislature at its January voting session.

By virtue of being appointed to the IDA board, Healy will also assume a seat on the boards of the Chautauqua Regional Economic Development Corporation, and the Chautauqua County Capital Resource Corporation.

Healy has more than 20 years of experience in the construction industry, including architecture/engineering; construction administration; estimating; and project management with educational, health care, commercial, utility, and infrastructure projects. He has worked for the Builders Exchange of the Southern Tier (BEST) since 2021 and was recently named the executive director, replacing Brad Walters, who retired from that position at the end of 2024.

“I’m excited to join the CCIDA Board of Directors and look forward to contributing to the great work the organization does in Chautauqua County,” Healy said.

Walters resigned from the CCIDA board on December 23, 2024, due to his recent retirement from BEST, after serving for 10 years, creating the open board seat that Healy is now filling. Prior to his resignation from the board, Walters served as vice chair. That position will now be held by board member Dan Heitzenrater, who had previously served as board secretary. The office of board secretary will now be held by board member Amy Harding.

“Brad provided a lot of great insights pertaining to what was going on in the business community, so it was very beneficial having him on the board these past ten years,” said Gary Henry, IDA board chairman. “We are confident that John will continue to provide valuable insights in the years to come and look forward to having him on our team.”

Healy is a member of the Workforce Investment Board; Jamestown YMCA and the Jamestown Noon Rotary Club, where he served as past president. His educational background includes an MBA from the Franciscan University of Steubenville; a BA from the University of Mount Union; and is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP). While playing football at Mount Union, Healy helped the Raiders to a 55-1 record and three NCAA Division III national championships. He is a native of Steubenville, Ohio, and currently lives in Bemus Point with his wife Betsy (Myott) and their four sons.

“We are pleased to have John join the board of the CCIDA,” said Mark Geise, deputy county executive for economic development and CCIDA CEO. “John brings a wealth of experience to the board and has a firm understanding of its role related to growing and strengthening the local economy, thanks to involvement with BEST and his relationship with Brad Walters.”