Sydney Weber was sworn in Thursday as the director of the Wood County Resiliency Center by Wood County Commission President Blair Couch. She will be handling operations at the facility in downtown Parkersburg. (Photo by Brett Dunlap)

PARKERSBURG — The Wood County Commission was introduced to the new director of the Wood County Resiliency Center.

Sydney Weber was sworn in Thursday to that position.

She moved to Parkersburg from the Charleston area three years ago. She worked in the Governor’s Office for three years in Charleston and has worked at the Blennerhassett Hotel for a couple of years as manager. Recently, she had been working on political campaigns through events and fundraising.

“This opportunity came up and I was really excited to learn more about it,” Weber said. “I am really excited to be here and be able to work with you all.”

The building, which cost over $13 million, was funded through American Rescue Plan Act funds. It addresses issues the county had during the pandemic and will be able to handle other concerns.

Weber said they are going to start with getting everything priced out in what rental cost will be for the various rooms that will be available as that has been one of the biggest questions people have had about the center.

She will also draw up a preferred caterers’ list as there will not be an onsite caterer at the facility. She will also interview caterers and make sure they know what will be expected for events at the center.

“Other than that it will be promoting it to the community, meeting with people and letting them know (about the facility and what can be done there),” Weber said.

She said she would be willing to work with groups and other facilities to accommodate events if space becomes an issue.

“I am all about working together,” Weber said.

Commissioner Jimmy Colombo said he had worked with Weber through her campaign efforts.

“I have found her to be extremely efficient,” he said. “She has a quiet control over what happens and I was impressed with the way you handled things as well as how courteous and polite you were with people.”

Wood County Administrator Marty Seufer said Weber will also be working with local agencies, like the Mid-Ohio Valley Health Department and the American Red Cross, if an emergency strikes and the center will need to be utilized to handle aspects of that emergency.

Commission President Blair Couch said a grand opening date has not been set yet as there are still a number of things that have to happen with technology hook-ups and more. The center did recently host poll worker training before the General Election.

Couch said they will have a crew in to take a promotional video of the building.

County officials were looking at what kinds of needs they might have with tables and chairs.

Couch said they currently have 39 round tables that can seat 10 people each as well as 390 chairs. They were looking at different configurations of what can be accomplished with the available space. They are looking at the possibility of getting some rectangular tables and additional chairs to be able to set up a “classroom” configuration if someone is doing training or a lecture.

The price of setting up tables and chairs as well as the take down will be factored into rental agreements, officials said.

The commission also approved a measure Thursday designating the Resiliency Center as an additional courtroom facility “when necessary to conduct jury trials and other proceedings in which the regular courtrooms are unable to be used due to inadequate size of the existing courtroom facilities.”

Being able to hold socially distanced court hearings in the facility was one of the original aims in having the facility as that was a challenge during the pandemic.

The facility includes two holding cells as well as a sally port that can bring prisoners into the facility.

Commissioner Robert Tebay said he was looking forward to seeing what Weber can do with the building.

“I am very excited and I am ready to get to work,” Weber told him. “It is a phenomenal facility down there.

“Everything has been so well thought out. I think it is going to be such an asset to our community.”

Colombo said there are a number of large scale events that can be brought to the area which will help benefit local hotels and restaurants.

Weber did not know of any facility in the state, outside of the Greenbrier, that would be able to seat over 800 people like the Resiliency Center will be able to do.

“I think it will bring in a lot of conferences,” she said.