The GO Jefferson County Committee will be hosting a public forum featuring speaker Dale Arnold, Director of Energy Services, with The Ohio Farm Bureau, on Tuesday, March 19^th, 2013.  The event will be from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. in the EGCC auditorium.    

Mr. Arnold works with Farm Bureau leaders to create effective energy policy on local, state and national levels, as well as establish programs that help farm, small business and residential energy consumers  control their energy costs.  He will speak on issues pertaining to pipeline land leasing and installation and address concerns and questions of local landowners. In addition, Mike McGlumphy, Director of Jefferson County Connections, a one-stop employment and training center in Steubenville, OH will present on the state of local employment, job opportunities in the oil and gas industry and education and training requirements.  There will be a brief question and answer session immediately following. 

GO (Gas & Oil) Jefferson County, is the new name of the former Jefferson County Oil and Gas Committee formed in 2012 by the Jefferson County Commissioners.  Its initial purpose was to create a method of communicating with and getting feedback from the different disciplines in the community with regard to the oil and gas business.  Meeting monthly, its members are instrumental in helping the Commissioners stay aware of local oil and gas issues and ultimately helping Jefferson County maximize opportunities and minimize the risks associated with this new industry.  Each Commissioner made appointments to the committee with representation from many areas including education, real estate, employment, environmental issues, hospitality, township trustees, roads and infrastructure, emergency response and more. 

The committee also strives to be a means of getting important, continuous and timely information out to the public regarding employment opportunities.  By providing local job seekers with valuable details on job openings, training and education, GO Jefferson County can develop into an important resource in the coming months and years. 

This forum is the first in what GO Jefferson County hopes to be an ongoing informational series helping local residents gain valuable information and get answers to important questions regarding the oil and gas industry in Jefferson County.

For more information, please contact the Jefferson County Commissioners’ office at 740.283.8500.