Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed on Thursday named the former head of the Louisville, Ky., chamber of commerce to lead Atlanta’s economic development agency.
Craig J. Richard, the former CEO of Greater Louisville Inc., will succeed Brian McGowan, who left to join the Metro Atlanta Chamber as its No. 2 officer earlier this year. A start date for Richard was not announced.
Richard’s past experience includes stints with economic development agencies in the greater Houston area and metro Dallas. He was one of three finalists named last month.
“Craig J. Richard is uniquely qualified to lead Invest Atlanta as we continue to grow our economy, create jobs and retain the businesses who already call Atlanta home,” Reed said in a news release.
The other finalists were Gregory M. Buckley, former COO of Gibson Guitar, and Eloisa Klementich, Invest Atlanta’s managing director of business development.
“This was a competitive process, so I am honored to have been selected out of a group of extremely qualified candidates. I look forward to working with Mayor Kasim Reed and the Board to bring jobs and investment to Atlanta,” Richard said in the release.
