Harry Appointed as New Executive at Fremont
SSG is very pleased to have helped Greater Fremont Development Council with their executive search. We have enjoyed working on several different projects over the last few months. Here is the press release issued jointly by GFDC and the Greater Omaha Economic Development Partnership:
Cecilia Harry Appointed Executive Director of Greater Fremont Development Council
(Fremont, Neb., July 29, 2013) – Cecilia Harry has been appointed the executive director of Greater Fremont Development Council, a partner of the Greater Omaha Economic Development Partnership. She will be responsible for the promotion of economic development activities in Fremont and Dodge County effective August 26.
Prior to this appointment, Cecilia was with Leavenworth County Development Corporation in Leavenworth, Kan. as the economic development coordinator where she was highly successful in expanding their business retention and expansion program over the last two years by building relationships with business leaders and exceeding goals in all areas of responsibility including workforce development initiatives, marketing and project management.
Board President, Scott Meister said, “We are very fortunate to have Cecilia accept this leadership role. One of our top priorities is retention and expansion of existing business and Cecilia has had excellent results in this area. In one instance, she helped retain a major employer in Leavenworth County by identifying a middle management skills gap and successfully engaging the community college to develop a training program that resulted in improving the turnover rate for the company.”
Ms. Harry will be responsible for developing a communications strategy to keep investors and businesses advised on local economic development progress and activities. She will also focus on attraction of new business and industry, site development efforts and will help promote a healthy business community for Greater Fremont.
Doug Heim, economic development manager, said, “Hiring Cecilia is the next step in fulfilling the goals in our 2013 Business Plan as outlined and approved by our Board of Trustees in April of this year. As Greater Fremont recently became the newest partner in the Greater Omaha Economic Development Partnership, Cecilia will have two office locations. She joins Barb Pierce, business development coordinator at the Fremont office on 400 East Military and will have an office at the Greater Omaha Chamber, 1301 Harney Street.”
“I’m excited to join the team of businesses, public entities and community members that want to see Fremont and the surrounding Dodge County area grow and succeed,” said Ms. Harry. “I see great potential in Fremont, and I am confident that through the partnership with Greater Omaha, new investment and employment opportunities will come to this community.”
Cecilia has been very active in the field of economic development and is currently on the board of directors of the International Economic Development Council (IEDC), an organization that today has over 4,500 members. Her community involvement has included serving as a member of the board of United Way of Leavenworth County. She currently serves as President of Young Professionals of Leavenworth County.
Cecilia will be joined by her husband, Andrew.
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The Greater Omaha Economic Development Partnership, a program of the Greater Omaha Chamber, offers a full range of economic development services with the goal of increasing jobs and investments in the Greater Omaha area. The Partnership brings together the economic development organizations of the Chamber and the city of Omaha (Douglas County), Cass County Nebraska Economic Development Corporation, Sarpy County Economic Development Corporation, Gateway Development Corporation (Washington County) and the Greater Fremont Development Council and city of Fremont (Dodge County). The combined organizations are co-located within the Greater Omaha Chamber.