Former Leotian Has New Position in Garden City

Lona Sue is the youngest daughter of Pat and Donna Lou Elder of Leoti. (My baby sister!) Her maternal grandparents were Don and Vera (Stinchcomb) Pepper of Syracuse, Kansas. Her paternal grandparents were Roy and Helen (Graham) Elder of Leoti. Her honorary grandmother is Neva Elder-Kiefer-Duncan. Her son is Hunter Carson of Garden City.

FCEDC hires new business retention director Published 6/19/2010 in Local News By SHAJIA AHMAD mailto:sahmad@gctelegram.com%20

As a young girl, Lona DuVall would find herself studying print ads in magazines to decipher their subliminal messages and understand the creative process behind them, she said. Despite pursuing a musical degree in college, the new director of business retention at Finney County Economic Development said she suspected early on she'd end up working in the commerce industry. "I've always liked analyzing why things work the way they do," DuVall said. "I'd look at an ad, and ask myself, 'Why does that work? Why doesn't it?'" The western Kansas native, born and raised in Leoti, has lived in Garden City for nearly 13 years and was formerly branch president of People's State Bank, 122 W. Laurel Ave., in addition to working for attorneys in the area, she said. Working in the banking industry for most of her career has allowed DuVall to work with clients across the community and to train employees in her management roles, she said, skills she hopes to adapt to her new responsibilities in developing relationships with the existing businesses and industries and determining incentives and other assistance for businesses county-wide. Moving from the private to the public sector for the first time hasn't been an easy decision, due in part to the challenges of her new role, DuVall said; however, the business retention director added that she's excited to work with area businesses to ensure "they have the tools available to be successful and to grow or expand," in addition to fulfilling FCEDC's role in fostering an inviting business climate. "I want to put a focus on awareness of FCEDC's role in the community," she said. "People need to know what bang they're getting for their buck." FCEDC President Eric Depperschmidt said he believed DuVall's strong background in the banking industry, employee training programs and commitment to understanding business owners' needs are valuable assets. "I am excited to have Lona on the team and believe her knowledge and expertise will be invaluable to the growth of the existing business industries in Finney County," Depperschmidt said in a release. Liz Sosa formerly served as the corporation's director of business retention, since mid-2007, according to FCEDC officials. Add your Comment About This Story Read more: http://www.gctelegram.com/news/DuVall-business-retention-FCEDC-6-19-10#ixzz0sHDy9Y