Kelly Drayton Takes Over December 1

Kelly Drayton Takes Over December 1

DANVILLE, Va. — Danville is getting a new person in charge of helping bring jobs, investment and economic opportunity to the city.

Kelly Drayton, who most recently worked in North Carolina, has been selected as Danville's new economic development director.

Drayton will officially begin her new position on December 1, according to the city.

She takes over following the departure of Corrie Bobe, who left the position May 4 to join the Danville Regional Foundation as director of economic development and regional collaboration.

Bobe, a Danville native, joined the city's economic development department in 2009 and worked her way through the ranks before becoming its director in 2020.

According to Danville City Manager Ken Larking, the city conducted a highly competitive national search that included several rounds of interviews before Drayton was selected.

"Kelly has built her career around bringing diverse partners together to tackle complex challenges and create meaningful results for the communities she serves," Larking said in a statement.

Drayton's arrival comes as Danville continues efforts to attract new businesses, expand employment opportunities and position the city for future economic growth.

Now the job is hers.

The title may say economic development director, but the to-do list is likely to be considerably longer than the title.

Danville will officially welcome Drayton to the position December 1.

Original Facebook source: Open post

Source note: Star News TV · Sep 6, 2026 5:48 PM.