Chief Economic Development Officer
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Benefits offered by this job
Job summary
City of Waco seeks a visionary Chief Economic Development Officer to lead the Economic Development Department through a pivotal growth phase. The role focuses on attracting investment, guiding incentives, and coordinating with City leadership to shape the downtown redevelopment and regional economic strategy.
The CEDO will manage major incentive programs, mentor the team, and present recommendations in public meetings while ensuring measurable returns on public investments.
Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in Economics, Planning, Social Sciences, Business, Public Administration, or related field.
- At least seven years of experience in economic and community development and regulatory program management.
- Knowledge of federal, state, and local laws affecting economic development; experience with Texas tools including Tax Increment Financing Districts, Public Improvement Districts, Chapter 380 grants, and tax abatements.
Responsibilities
- Provide overall leadership and strategic direction for the City's Economic Development Department.
- Develop and execute short- and long-range economic development and revitalization strategies.
- Develop strategies for attracting new businesses while supporting expansion and retention of existing businesses.
- Serve as the City Manager's principal advisor and subject-matter expert on economic development, development opportunities, and incentive policy.
- Evaluate proposed development projects and recommend appropriate levels and structures of public participation.
- Manage and provide oversight of TIF agreements, tax abatements, Chapter 380 grants, and other economic development incentive programs.
- Negotiate incentive and development agreements with businesses and developers and review agreements negotiated by staff.
- Identify infrastructure and development needs that can unlock additional private investment.
- Use research, analytics, market intelligence, and performance measures to identify opportunities and evaluate results.
- Develop strong relationships with developers, businesses, educational institutions, community organizations, governmental partners, and other economic development stakeholders.
- Present economic development strategies, projects, recommendations, and agreements in public meetings.
- Lead, mentor, and develop the Economic Development team while strengthening organizational systems, processes, and accountability.
Skills
Education
Job description
Mackenzie Eason & Associates has been retained by the City of Waco to recruit its next Chief Economic Development Officer.Waco is entering a significant period in its economic evolution. The City is experiencing continued growth, advancing one of the most ambitious downtown redevelopment initiatives in its history, and coming off a five-year period that includes more than $1.8 billion in major economic development investment across manufacturing, redevelopment, corporate employment, retail, housing, and other sectors.
The next Chief Economic Development Officer will lead the City’s Economic Development Department at a moment when Waco has both considerable momentum and considerable opportunity. It is a senior leadership role responsible for helping shape the City’s economic strategy, evaluating and structuring development opportunities, guiding major public-private investments, strengthening Waco’s retail and commercial base, cultivating new markets, and serving as a trusted advisor to the City Manager and City Council.
Waco is looking for an experienced leader who can help mature the organization, develop a talented emerging team, strengthen processes and analytics, and position the Economic Development Department for its next stage of growth.
The Chief Economic Development Officer will direct the City's economic development strategy and operations while serving as one of the primary voices shaping how Waco approaches investment, growth, redevelopment, and business development.
The CEDO will develop and execute strategies for attracting new businesses while supporting existing business growth and retention; identify infrastructure and development opportunities; evaluate proposed public investments; negotiate agreements with developers and businesses; manage major incentive programs; and provide decision-ready recommendations to the City Manager and elected leadership.
The City has also intentionally built a dedicated professional team around this work. The current Economic Development organizational structure includes the Chief Economic Development Officer, an Assistant Director of Economic Development, a Senior Economic Development Manager, a Business Strategy and Intelligence Manager, and an Economic Development Compliance and Financial Manager.
While many economic development organizations concentrate almost exclusively on industrial recruitment, the City recognizes retail and commercial development as important components of its economic strategy, particularly because of their impact on sales tax revenue, quality of life, and Waco's ability to serve a growing regional population.
Waco has attracted international investment, including companies with ties to Mexico and Germany, and has pursued relationships connected to Korean investment associated with the rapidly growing semiconductor ecosystem in Central Texas. The region's interstate, rail, utility, and geographic position also create significant opportunities in logistics and distribution.
Over the past five years, Waco has advanced a diverse portfolio of economic development projects representing more than $1.8 billion in announced or committed investment across manufacturing, corporate headquarters, redevelopment, retail, housing, logistics, and community-serving projects.
Recent wins and major projects include:
- Graphic Packaging International — approximately $1.026 billion in investment and 190 new jobs, representing one of the largest projects in Waco’s recent economic development portfolio.
- Electrolit — approximately $220 million in investment and 149 new jobs, adding a significant new manufacturing operation to the community.
- Barron’s Branch Phase 1A — approximately $154 million in investment, advancing a major component of Waco’s broader downtown redevelopment initiative.
- Riverway — approximately $130 million in investment, adding another large-scale redevelopment project to Waco’s pipeline.
- Floyd Casey Development — approximately $100 million in investment, transforming the former stadium property into a major new development opportunity.
Waco is willing to be creative in economic development, but the City expects its investments to produce a meaningful public return.
The City evaluates these investments through an ROI-oriented lens. Financial return is important, but the analysis can extend beyond direct tax revenue to include outcomes such as job creation, catalytic development, redevelopment of strategic areas, and the broader economic impact generated by a project.
Few assignments will better illustrate the scale of opportunity facing the next CEDO than the transformation underway in downtown Waco.
The City of Waco is partnering with Hunt Real Estate on a long-term redevelopment initiative covering more than 100 acres along the Brazos River. Plans envision signature public spaces including a new town square, central events lawn, ballpark, enhanced green spaces, and a more connected, parks-oriented urban center. (Waco Downtown Redevelopment)
- The Chief Economic Development Officer will be expected to:
- Provide overall leadership and strategic direction for the City's Economic Development Department.
- Develop and execute short- and long-range economic development and revitalization strategies.
- Develop strategies for attracting new businesses while supporting expansion and retention of existing businesses.
- Serve as the City Manager's principal advisor and subject-matter expert on economic development, development opportunities, and incentive policy.
- Evaluate proposed development projects and recommend appropriate levels and structures of public participation.
- Manage and provide oversight of TIF agreements, tax abatements, Chapter 380 grants, and other economic development incentive programs.
- Negotiate incentive and development agreements with businesses and developers and review agreements negotiated by staff.
- Identify infrastructure and development needs that can unlock additional private investment.
- Use research, analytics, market intelligence, and performance measures to identify opportunities and evaluate results.
- Develop strong relationships with developers, businesses, educational institutions, community organizations, governmental partners, and other economic development stakeholders.
- Present economic development strategies, projects, recommendations, and agreements in public meetings.
- Lead, mentor, and develop the Economic Development team while strengthening organizational systems, processes, and accountability.
Candidates must have:
- A bachelor's degree in Economics, Planning, Social Sciences, Business, Public Administration, or a related field; and
- At least seven years of experience in economic and community development and regulatory program management, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
- Candidates should also demonstrate substantial knowledge of federal, state, and local laws affecting economic development and experience with Texas economic development tools including Tax Increment Financing Districts, Public Improvement Districts, Chapter 380 grants, and tax abatements.
All employees working at least 1,000 hours per year are automatically enrolled in TMRS, a guaranteed retirement program providing a lifetime annuity upon retirement.
- 7% of your gross compensation is deducted each pay period.
- The City matches your contributions 2:1.
- Vesting occurs after 5 years.
- Eligible to retire after 20 years of service or at 60 years old with at least 5 years of service.
- TMRS also recognizes prior service with other TMRS cities, military service, or public agencies.
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