(Greensboro, NC) Brent Christensen, a 20-year veteran of the economic development industry
and current Executive Director of the Mississippi Development Authority, has been named the
new President and CEO of the Greensboro Partnership.
"This is an exciting day for our community and for the Greensboro Partnership," said Lee Lloyd,
Chairman of the Partnership. "Brent is a dynamic and energetic leader who has led highly
successful economic development efforts at the local, regional and state level. He brings an
extraordinary level of talent, relationships and experience to our community that will allow us to
significantly raise our economic development profile, both nationally and internationally.“
Christensen has ties to North Carolina, having earned undergraduate degrees in economics and
public policy from Duke University. He currently leads economic development efforts for the
State of Mississippi, having been named to the top position at the Mississippi Development
Authority by Governor Phil Bryant in April of 2012.
Previously, Christensen served for ten years as the President and CEO of the Gainesville Area
Chamber of Commerce, where he led the operation of the Chamber, the Council for Economic
Outreach (the economic development agency for the Gainesville, FL region) and the Gainesville
Technology Enterprise Center, a high-tech business incubator. During Brent’s tenure, the
Gainesville Chamber achieved the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's 5-Star Accreditation, placing it
among the top one percent of chambers of commerce nationwide.
"I am thrilled to return to North Carolina, especially at a time when the economic development
program statewide is being rejuvenated," said Christensen. "Greensboro is a great community
with tremendous assets and is very well positioned for business success in the coming years. I
look forward to working collaboratively with others in the community to realize our full potential."
The announcement today comes as the culmination of a national search process that was led
by executive search firm Jorgenson Consulting Inc. The search committee consisted of
community leaders, elected officials and Greensboro Partnership board members. "We were
incredibly pleased by the quality of candidates that Jorgenson presented," said Chuck Burns, Chairman of the search committee. "We also worked to ensure that our finalist candidates met
with a broad cross-section of leaders across our region, including business leaders and
developers from both Greensboro and High Point, and government officials at the city and
county level. We were impressed and pleased with the widespread support to hire Brent as our
new President and CEO."
Nancy Vaughan, Mayor of Greensboro and a member of the search committee, said, "I am so
pleased that Brent has chosen to lead the Partnership. I had the pleasure of meeting him while
serving on the search committee, and I was impressed with his experience and passion for
economic development. I know he will serve our city well."
"I commend the Partnership for being so inclusive in its process to find a new CEO,” said Jeff
Phillips, Guilford County Commissioner and a member of the search committee. “I am very
confident that Brent’s experience and accomplishments will prove to be extremely beneficial for
our region, and I'm really looking forward to working with him to advance our economic
development efforts in Guilford County."
"Brent has experience in working with colleges and universities, having formed a great
partnership with the University of Florida while in Gainesville,” said Dr. Harold Martin,
Chancellor of NC A&T State University and a member of the search committee. “We look
forward to working with him to leverage our community's higher education assets while
exploring new strategies for creating job opportunities for our graduates and new
entrepreneurial enterprises through our technology transfer and commercialization efforts."
Chris Chung, CEO of the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina and responsible
for overseeing the state’s efforts in business recruitment and retention, said, “Brent is a wellrespected
professional economic developer who has served at the helm of a formidable
competitor state in the industrial recruitment business. Rather than having to compete with him
for the same employers that North Carolina is pursuing, I’m glad we can welcome him as the
newest member of the North Carolina team, and I congratulate the Greensboro Partnership on
an excellent decision. We look forward to an even stronger working relationship with the
Partnership in the coming months and years."
Christensen holds a Master’s degree in Business Administration from the University of South
Florida. He and his wife, Holly, have three children: Connor (17), Will (14) and Annabeth (10).
He will assume his new role at the Greensboro Partnership no later than June 1, 2015.
About the Greensboro Partnership
The Greensboro Partnership is the principal economic and community development organization in Greensboro,
North Carolina. Through the work of its four business units – Action Greensboro, Chamber of Commerce, Economic
Development, and Entrepreneur Connection – the Partnership works to develop a vibrant community that creates,
expands, and attracts business while advancing the quality of life for all. For more information on the mission of the
Greensboro Partnership, visit www.greensboropartnership.com."
- A Press Release
Action Greensboro and The Public Art Endowment at The Community Foundation of Greater Greensboro are partnering to celebrate one of the most beloved annual public art installations in town -- the Lighted Holiday Balls that transform city neighborhoods time of year!
