Eager to lead in Mitchell: Vaux settles in to new role as chamber, development leader

But he was looking for a place where he could take a leading role, live closer to his family and be in a location where the civic and community leaders were pulling in the same direction. And Mitchell caught his eye.

Vaux, 56, was named the executive director of the Mitchell Area Development Corporation and the Mitchell Area Chamber of Commerce on July 27, and he started the new job earlier this month.

"I just really liked the cohesiveness," he said of the structure of Mitchell's job. "We're all under one roof and we're all working together, between all of the groups that work in this (Chamber) building and through the businesses. That's always a good way to work, when everyone is pulling in the same direction."

As someone who says he relishes working behind the scenes of projects, Vaux previously worked as the executive vice president for the Greater Fargo-Moorhead Economic Development Corporation for five years. That job primarily entailed business retention and expansion, along with finding funding sources for the organization and recruiting new businesses to the region. The job also included policy, legislation and workforce development, but he admitted that he's always had the goal of leading a city's economic development work. 

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