J. P. Komorny has been selected to be Kimball’s new Economic Development Director. Komorny says his first priority is to see that the Rail Spur Project goes ahead as planned. His parallel thrust will be revitalization of  of the downtown business district.Komorny’s credentials are impressive. He grew up in Upstate New York near Saratoga Springs. That is thorough bred horse racing country. Komorny grew up on a horse and Herford ranch and managed it for a number of years.He graduated from the U. S. Naval Academy and served the Marine Corps. He was wounded by shrapnel on duty in Sarajevo and was discharged with the rank of captain. He went to work for American Express in New York City and then became part of KPMG, one of the five largest real estate tax firms in the country. He worked with the development, acquisition and sale of hotels, resorts and industrial parks. When asked for the name of a client recognizable in the Heartland, Komorny said he had dealt with the Hemsley Hotel chain and had met the notorious Leona Hemsley. He has worked with economic development in Ohio, helping Cleveland and Columbus get Brownsville Grants for low income housing.He has restructured Key Banks all over the country, including Arvada, Cherry Creek, Ft. Morgan and Sterling, Colorado.And he has helped corporations moving into the Palm Beach, Florida area to get Federal tax breaks.Oh yes, he has written tax law for the IRS to permit “cost segregation” for business purposes, i.e, separating personal property from business property in certain tax situations.So how did Komorny get  to Kimball?He wanted to leave the frantic business world for a more simple life. He took a job as ranch foreman at  the Colorado Cattle Company in Weld County, Colorado, just a couple dozen miles south of Kimball. He got there to find that there was no family housing on the ranch. On top of  that, the ranch  was sold and Komorny decided to get out of  the confusion.He and his family drove  to Kimball to look for housing. They drove into town from the south immediately following a snow storm. They topped over the hill on the south end of town and saw the snow covered city in front of them. It looked like home and here they are.Once in Kimball, Komorny went back to his horse farm roots and set up a farrier business. He is a horse and rodeo affectionado and lost part of his left leg in a bronc riding event about four years ago. He gets along fine with a prosthesis.His given names are Jason Paul but he says he hasn’t heard them in years. JP will do just fine.His wife Stacy is the greenhouse manager at Cottage Gardens. His oldest son is in the Air Force and stationed in Arizona, a daughter is enrolled at Cazenovia College  near Oneida in New York, a son is working at the Frenchman Valley Coop for the summer and will be a junior in high school, another daughter will be a freshman at KHS and is on the Spirit Squad, The youngest child, a daughter, will be in kindergarten.Komorny is a slim, suntanned fellow with dark hair with specks of gray.He said, “I like to say I’m in my early forties.”City Administrator Harold Farrar reported that there were eight candidates for the position. Three face to face interviews and one telephone interview were conductedWecome aboard, JP! We wish you good success in bringing economic development  to Kimball.