A unanimous vote of approval by the Brownwood City Council Tuesday confirmed the hiring of Emily Crawford as the new Executive Director of the Brownwood Economic Development Corporation. This vote ratified the appointment by Rountree and followed the vote by the BEDC board of directors on Monday.
Crawford will be the taking the place of longtime Executive Director James Campbell and will begin her duties April 4, 2011. Currently Crawford works as the Community Relations Coordinator for Brownwood ISD and will leave the position on March 25th.
Crawford expressed her excitement to begin this position, helping existing businesses continue to thrive, and helping new companies relocate to our community.
“I am very excited about working with the BEDC board and of course our city council in continuing to support local businesses and industry to thrive,” stated Crawford.
“We have such a strong base here and I am looking forward to helping our existing industry to continue to thrive here in our community and I am also looking forward to finding out what kind of other additional industry and businesses can relocate to here, what niches we can tap into that Brownwood would be a good fit for.”
With economic times challenging and businesses cutting back on expansion and relocation, Crawford believes it is also a challenge to educate and inform corporations and businesses about Brownwood, as Crawford put it “its amenities, utilities and infrastructures that support a strong business climate that you wouldn’t know about Brownwood just by looking at a map”.
“I enjoy marketing Brownwood, I have been doing it for several years now and this will just be another way that I will be able to market Brownwood,” stated Crawford.
Outgoing BEDC Executive Director, James Campbell, along with Administrative Assistant Glenda England are working with Crawford to familiarize her with the office and have expressed that they will be available in the transition period Crawford said.
When asked how it feels to be a woman in this position that typically has been held by men, Crawford stated that she is happy to fill the role and will rise to the challenge.
“This is fairly monumental for Brownwood, I am certainly honored. I find it to be a privilege to have been chosen from the candidates,” Crawford said. “I look forward to letting our community know and certainly those other communities around us that Brownwood is progressive and is looking toward the future and that I will be able to fulfill this role with success.”
Crawford said that her position at BISD made some great progress for the district, and officials are evaluating the future of the position.
“The school board sees the accomplishments that the community relations position has been able to achieve through promoting the school district locally and to those people looking to relocate to Brownwood, and they want to maintain the improved communication and website,” Crawford said. “We are looking at how to continue those services.”
