The Greater Irving-Las Colinas Chamber of Commerce has hired Joseph “Joey” Grisham as its new director of economic development. Selected after a national search, Grisham brings 13 years of economic development experience to this position, including expertise in internal/external marketing; business recruitment, retention and expansion; strategic planning; research; and downtown/town center development.
“Having a professional of Joey’s caliber on our team will undoubtedly extend the momentum we have built and allow us to continue to bring best-in-class businesses to our community,” said Beth Bowman, president and CEO of the chamber. “The experience and insight that Joey possesses – from working with the Governor’s Office on multi-billion-dollar deals, to supporting small businesses – uniquely qualify him for this position.” Grisham previously served as president/CEO of the Hutto Economic Development Corp., where under his leadership, the city was a finalist for a corporate relocation prospect representing 6,500 jobs and a $5 billion investment. In addition to helping establish two new economic development organizations from the ground up, he assisted with the expansion of over 20 businesses, resulting in more than $300 million of new capital investment. Grisham also recruited more than 2,300 jobs to local communities, secured more than $2 million in grants and developed new incentives policies.
Grisham also had leadership roles for the Lake Granbury (Texas) Economic Development Corporation, the Mobile (Alabama) Chamber of Commerce and the Marion County (Mississippi) Development Partnership. He has also worked as an independent economic development consultant and early in his career worked for a FORTUNE 500 medical device company. Grisham has been active in numerous regional and national organizations, including the Texas Economic Development Council, the Central Texas Commercial Association of Realtors, Texas One, the Southern Economic Development Council, the International Economic Development Council and the International Council of Shopping Centers. He is a past member of the DFW Marketing Team and the North Texas Commercial Association of Realtors. At the local level, he served on the boards of the Lion’s Club and the East Williamson County Higher Education Advisory Board.
Betty Dillard bdillard@bizpress.net