GREENSBORO, N.C.–The head of the Miss. Development Authority, Brent Christensen, is leaving Mississippi for a new job in Greensboro, North Carolina. Christensen will become head of the Greensboro Partnership, an economic development firm that brings businesses to the local area.
Christensen will leave his Mississippi post and assume his new duties by June 1.
He was appointed by Gov. Bryant as head of the MDA in 2012. You may have seen his name in numerous news stories about bringing businesses and expanding current ones in the state. The MDA has also worked with the Miss. Film Commission and other agencies in promoting tourism in Mississippi under Christensen’s tenure.
“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.”
Christensen actually earned his undergrad degrees at Duke.
His new bosses are happy to have him on board and applaud his work in Mississippi. These statements are from a news release from the Greensboro Partnership:
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 well-respected 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.
