Chris Strayer, the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce’s senior vice president of business attraction, retention and expansion since joining the organization two years ago, has been promoted to executive vice president of economic development, the Chamber said Sunday.
Strayer will “manage all aspects of economic development, including talent and small business development,” the Chamber said.
“Chris is a tremendous contributor to the economic development efforts of the Fort Worth region,” Brandom Gengelbach, the chamber’s president, said in a release. “He has overseen countless expansion and relocation projects and has helped to create nearly 5,000 new jobs since he joined the organization in February of 2018.”
Gengelbach came to the Chamber in November 2016 as executive vice president of economic development. The Chamber board promoted him to president in October, taking the position of Bill Thornton, who announced last year would step down as CEO and president on July 7. Thornton became CEO and president in 2000, after serving in economic development since 1989.
Strayer came to Fort Worth from Columbus, Ohio, where he was a senior project manager for business development and project management at Columbus 2020, the economic development organization for the 11-county region.
“I look forward to continued collaboration with top business and community leaders to promote economic development in our city,” Strayer said in a release. “The Fort Worth region has experienced a lot of growth over the last few years and we don’t anticipate a slow down anytime soon.”
Strayer holds a B.S. in Urban and Regional Planning from Michigan State University and an Economic Development Finance Professional credential from the National Development Council.