Greater Fargo Moorhead EDC President Accepts New Position

Organization Launches Search for New Leader

Fargo, ND:

The Greater Fargo Moorhead Economic Development Corporation (GFMEDC) announced today that its president, Brian Walters has accepted a position with the Metro Orlando Economic Development Commission.

Walters will join the Orlando organization as its executive vice president of business development on June 1. He has been president of the GFMEDC, formerly the Fargo Cass County Economic Development Corporation (FCCEDC), since May of 2002.

Ron Robson, chair of the GFMEDC Board of Directors, praised Walters for his vision, leadership, and foresight into the evolution of economies and the forces that drive them. He said a national search for a replacement will begin as soon as possible.

"Greater Fargo Moorhead has benefited immeasurably from Brian's intelligence, as well as his talent for bringing people with diverse goals together to improve our communities," Robson said. "He has done a great job of positioning Greater Fargo Moorhead for the future, and we wish him well in his new endeavor."

When Walters joined the GFMEDC, he proceeded to redefine the organization's jobs creation mission, transitioning from a focus on the number of jobs created to the quality of jobs for the citizens of Fargo and Cass County.

Walters also spearheaded the effort to bring Moorhead and Clay County, MN into the FCCEDC's service area. The goal was to enable Fargo, Moorhead, and the surrounding area to compete with other cities and metropolitan statistical areas as a whole, with all its combined assets in the mix. Previously, the communities had been marketing and recruiting outside businesses individually, at times even competing directly with one another. The endeavor culminated with the formation of the GFMEDC in 2006.

In that same year, Walters and the GFMEDC launched a strategic planning initiative aimed at putting Greater Fargo Moorhead in a stronger position for competing for businesses and jobs in emerging, high-tech industries such as vaccine development and smart technologies. The result was the Cass/Clay Economic Plan, portions of which have already been implemented.

"While I'm happy to be transitioning to a new stage in my career, the decision to leave Greater Fargo Moorhead was difficult to make," said Walters. "This community is poised to become a significant player in exciting and emerging fields, thanks to the hard work of GFMEDC board and staff members, our partners in the business and education communities and people at all levels of government who have provided assistance along the way. It's been an honor to work with every one of them."

The GFMEDC strives to enhance economies in Cass County, ND and Clay County, MN communities by attracting, expanding, and retaining primarysector businesses. Its primary objective is to facilitate the creation of primarysector jobs. A primary-sector business is one that brings new dollars into a community through the sale of its products and services outside of the trade area. The primary sector is the foundation of an economy and the principal driver of economic development.

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