Willis EDC hires Ray Laughter as new director.[/caption]

The city of Willis Economic Development Corporation announced in a news release on Tuesday that Ray Laughter was recently hired as EDC director. Prior to Laughter, the position was held by acting director Stacey Ford Osborne, according to the Willis EDC website. 

“My interest [in the position] came from the fact that even though Willis has been one of the fastest growing regions in the area, the projected growth of new developments are going to accelerate that growth,” Laughter said in the news release. “As a long-time resident of the North Houston region, it's something I felt like I'd like to be a part of—managing that growth.”

Residential growth is expected to continue in the Willis area in 2018 with the premiere of the first home sites for Howard Hughes Co.’s master-planned community, The Woodlands Hills, as well as an undeveloped 900-acre piece of land owned by Caldwell Companies in northwest Willis. The Woodlands Hills is a 2,000-acre development expected to bring 4,500 homes to the area within the next 10-15 years, said Heath Melton, VP of master-planned communities, at the community’s November groundbreaking.

According to the news release, Laughter has over 30 years of experience in economic and community development at Lone Star College System. Laughter served as LSCS’s vice chancellor for external affairs until he retired in February 2016, where his job responsibilities included marketing and communications, and community and economic development partnerships and programs.