Gail Noggle, President/CEO of the Economic Development Partnership of Bolivar and Polk County, is announcing her retirement. She has more than 25 years of experience in community and economic development, as well as chamber of commerce and convention and visitor’s bureau leadership in Springfield. Noggle also owned a financial investment firm in the past.
Noggle presented her formal retirement notice to the Board of Directors for the Economic Development Partnership on Feb. 23 and to the City of Bolivar’s board of aldermen on March 28, 2023. Her anticipated last day is June 16.
In her letter, Noggle stated the following:
“I wanted to take this opportunity to thank you for all your support and leadership. Bolivar and Polk County has been my home away from home these past seven years and will always hold a special place in my heart. I have genuinely enjoyed my employment in this great community and will miss you all when my retirement day arrives.”
Noggle served as the Executive Director of the Economic Development Alliance for Bolivar and Polk County from 2016 to June 2022 when her efforts to establish a stand-alone economic development organization in Polk County came to fruition. The newly recognized nonprofit, the Economic Development Partnership of Bolivar and Polk County (EDP), received its Certificate of Incorporation June 23, 2022, and its 501(c)(3) status on Jan. 5, 2023.
Over the last seven years, Noggle has worked closely with companies in the planning and development stages prior to opening their respective facilities in Bolivar and Polk County.
She has offered assistance in qualifying companies for state and local incentives, in addition to assistance with workforce development. Some of the businesses assisted were Phoenix Décor, Missouri Prime Beef, Tracker/White River Marine, Mercy Clinic, Citizens Memorial Hospital, RevHoney, and Creator Designs. Most recent recruitment efforts resulted in the opening of Flat Creek Restaurant.
In 2017, Noggle recruited Tractor Supply Co. to Bolivar Business Park, which was named a Missouri Certified Site that year under her leadership. The industrial park was re-certified in 2020.
The following year, she was also instrumental in getting two of Bolivar’s Census tracts qualified as an Opportunity Zone, a funding mechanism for developers.
In July 2020, Noggle was selected by regional peers to serve as a district director for the Missouri Economic Development Council (MEDC). MEDC is a statewide, nonprofit association of economic development professionals and community leaders.
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Noggle stayed abreast of national and state legislation and policies that established financial resources for individuals, businesses and governments to withstand the crisis felt throughout the pandemic.
She alerted the city to its possible housing shortage and has worked tirelessly recruiting local and regional developers over the last few years. She recruited and assisted Morelock Builders in its bid to receive the Missouri Housing Development Commission’s approval to build workforce housing in Bolivar, which occurred in December 2022. Recently, Noggle has been working with the EDP and the City of Bolivar in pursuing a formal housing study analysis.
Noggle has served on many professional boards over the years, including the Good Samaritan Boys Ranch, Missouri Rural Partners Board of Directors, Southwest Missouri Council of Governments, Missouri Economic Development District 6 Board, as well as serving as Club President of her Rotary Club in Springfield.
About the Economic Development Partnership of Bolivar and Polk County
The mission of the Economic Development Partnership of Bolivar and Polk County is to promote economic growth, create job opportunities, encourage workforce development and improve economic well-being and wealth creation.
The non-profit coordinates and facilitates the development of a strong, diversified, competitive economy. It focuses on addressing the needs and opportunities of existing businesses, providing assistance to new and expanding businesses, fostering workforce development, and supporting an entrepreneurial culture.
For more information about the Economic Development Partnership of Bolivar and Polk County, follow the Economic Development Partnership - Bolivar, Mo Facebook and Linked In pages, or contact administrative assistant Rebecca Baker by email at rbaker@bolivar.mo.us or by phone at 417-328-5803.
