The founder of Choose New Jersey Inc., a nonprofit that works to grow investment and jobs in the state, has left for a job in Texas.
Tracye McDaniel, founder and CEO of the group, will leave the organization early next year to serve as president and chief executive officer of the Texas Economic Development Corporation. The Choose New Jersey board of directors has begun a search for her successor.
“As the founding president of Choose New Jersey, Tracye set our course and secured a strong base of support from the state’s business, labor, and education community. Her vision and expertise helped the organization become a powerful marketing engine, promoting the state as a premier business location all over the world,” said Bernie Flynn, chairman of the board of Choose New Jersey and CEO of New Jersey Manufacturers Insurance Company. “The opportunity to lead economic development efforts in Texas, Tracye’s largest challenge to date, is a validation of all that she has accomplished in New Jersey. She is a savvy leader who leaves behind a strong organization that is a critical part of the Christie Administration’s Partnership for Action and is poised for growth and success.”
McDaniel is no stranger to Texas. Her nearly 30 years of professional experience include leading a number of economic development organizations in the state. Prior to coming to New Jersey in 2011, she served as executive vice president and chief operating officer of the Greater Houston Partnership. She had previously served as executive director of the state’s Economic Development and Tourism Division, and as CEO for the Texas Economic Development Corporation’s “TexasOne” Program, which is part of the organization that she will now lead.
McDaniel launched and led Choose New Jersey, a privately funded and governed organization that works to promote the state globally.
Choose NJ, 201 Rockingham Row, Princeton Forrestal Village, Princeton 08540; 609-297-2200; fax, 609-297-2201. www.choosenj.com.
