Joe Sam Queen, a former state senator, was recently appointed to the Advantage West board of directors.

Advantage West is Western North Carolina’s regional economic development commission. The non-profit public-private partnership, which was started by the state legislature in 1994, focuses on marketing the mountain region of the state to corporations seeking to relocate or open a new facility and expanding existing businesses. Advantage West covers a 23-county region of nearly 10,000 square miles and more than 1 million citizens. Advantage West is one of seven regional partnerships with the N.C. Department of Commerce.

Queen said he will advocate for an expanded role for Western North Carolina in the future of state heath care, especially as the development of the North Carolina Center for Health and Aging becomes a reality. He also hopes to continue building on the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area project, developing travel and tourism for the region based on its cultural heritage and while doing it, creating stronger communities.

While Queen looks forward to recruiting and retaining industry, he said a strong focus needs to be placed on innovating for the future.

“To be competitive, we certainly need to connect to and expand our Internet capacity, and we need to grow new infrastructure that supports home grown jobs across the board,” Queen said.