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Bette Brown Slayton

Bette Brown Slayton in Bedford, PA, in June 2022.

Bette Brown Slayton is president and CEO of the Bedford County Development Association (BCDA), and longtime advocate for healthy, sustainable cattle husbandry. Since 1990, her career has focused on economic development for Bedford County, Pennsylvania, thereby bringing thousands of jobs and millions of dollars to Bedford County, through securing development deals with major retail manufacturing and distribution centers. In 2021 she was named 2021 Economic Developer of the Year by the Pennsylvania Economic Development Association. She is also the 1999 winner of the Bedford County Chamber of Commerce Athena Award. Slayton was also president of the Pennsylvania Economic Development Association (2001-2002).

Education, Early Career, Marriage, and Cattle Raising

Slayton was born Bette Brown in Wisconsin, to Warren and Isabel Brown - themselves well-known among those raising Hereford cattle . Slayton ultimately graduated from the University of Wisconsin–Madison, with a degree in agricultural economics. She went on to pursue graduate work at Montana State University. In 1974 she first met the man who would later become her husband, Paul Slayton, at the National Junior Hereford Show in Nashville, Tennessee.

Bette Brown Slayton worked in journalism and banking in Kansas City, before moving to Pennsylvania in 1984 after marrying Paul Slayton, now an award-winning cattleman of over 40 years and erstwhile president of the Pennsylvania Beef Council and the Pennsylvania Cattlemen's Association. Over the years spent together on their 320-acre Bedford, PA property, titled BearDance, the Slaytons' cattle, Paul Slayton's cattle-raising methods, and Paul Slayton's leadership have consistently garnered respect and awards in the Pennsylvania and national beef industries.

Bedford County Impact

In the span of over 30 years, Bette Brown Slayton and the BCDA made significant gains in economic development on behalf of Bedford County, Pennsylvania. Slayton brought in new employers such as REI (at the time the only REI distribution facility on the east coast), a Walmart Distribution Center (which ultimately hired up to 900 people), CaptiveAire Systems, MDL, Rex Heat Treat, DMP/MEC, Mission Critical Solutions, Lampire Biological Laboratories, and Green Leaf Medical. In recent years, Slayton's leadership brought two new additions to Bedford County: River Mountain Retreat, and a packing and distribution facility for Kate’s Real Food - an organic energy bar company. In addition to these business centers, Slayton's work also supported a $120 million restoration of the Bedford Springs Resort.

Senator Wayne Langerholc presented the 2021 Economic Developer of the Year Award as a Pennsylvania Senate citation. Under Slayton's leadership, BCDA had secured 4,000 new jobs and approximately $3 million in property taxes. These economic victories for the people of Bedford County were achieved in a challenging context. Former Lt. Gov. and Sen. Robert C. Jubelirer noted the hurdles that BCDA has surmounted while under Bette Brown Slayton's oversight, saying:

“Hers is a very tough arena, a county where economic slowdowns seem to hit hardest, where recovery is slow to take root, where people want opportunity but are mistrustful of outsiders and where pockets of chauvinism persist … A lot of her work is out of the spotlight in helping individuals establish themselves locally and build their markets. We need more like her in regional economic development.”

In 2021, Pennsylvania State Treasurer Stacy Garrity toured many of these Bedford manufacturing facilities which were built during Slayton's tenure, noting:

As someone who worked in the manufacturing sector for more than 30 years, I understand the importance of companies like Mission Critical Solutions Manufacturing and [Kate's Real Food manufacturer] The Organic Snack Company. Making sure our businesses have the support they need is crucial for the local communities they call home. Manufacturing provides family sustaining jobs and makes a significant impact on local and state economies.

In 2023, Slayton's work continued apace, drawing grant money on behalf of further Bedford County business park development. The same year, Slayton joined the Board of Directors of The Community Foundation for the Alleghenies. She is also the namesake of the Bette Brown Slayton Fund, supported by The Community Foundation for the Alleghenies. In November 2023, she also voiced strong support for the Rural Partnership and Prosperity Act of 2023 proposed under Pennsylvania senior senator Bob Casey Jr., saying:

“We are in support of the proposed Rural Partnership and Prosperity Act of 2023. As you are aware, rural communities lack funding opportunities and staffing resources which severely hinder our efforts to compete in the global economy. Direct federal support for economic and community development initiatives is critically important as we work to develop solutions for housing, childcare, and infrastructure improvements. Project and technical assistance will be of great value helping us to navigate the many challenges of a changing economy and declining population. Better cross-agency coordination and flexibility within federal programs will be of significant value in meeting our local needs. Those of us in the trenches of rural Pennsylvania are working cooperatively, creatively, and tenaciously to meet the many challenges facing us. It would be great to have streamlined access to federal funding and technical assistance. We'll also appreciate seeing our rural tax dollars coming back into our communities. Thank you for your support and efforts to strengthen our rural communities.”

Legacy

When considering the formal recognition of her professional awards, and Bedford County's top-ranking GDP growth, Bette Brown Slayton's body of work represents a successful arc of sustainable economic development for Bedford County. Slayton herself remains enthusiastic about her work and her home county, saying in a 2020 interview:

“Having been a banker and pivoting to creating jobs, it was heaven … I have been doing economic development for 33 years. I absolutely love, love, love it. I think every kid in college should consider economic development … I tell people, if Bedford County were a stock, you would want to invest in us … We’re on the move. The downtown has great restaurants and great shops. It’s really vibrant with lots of activities. People know each other. People are very friendly. People really cooperate and work together.”