Livermore Appoints New Innovation & Economic Development Director

LIVERMORE, CA — Livermore has appointed Brandon Cardwell as its new Innovation and Economic Development Director, the city announced Tuesday. He will start his new position Monday.

A Livermore native who graduated from Granada High School, Cardwell has worked for the city since 2006, and joined the city’s economic development team in 2011, where he helped shape the city’s economic development priorities related to tourism, special events, land use planning, and the technology sector.

In 2014, Cardwell was appointed executive director of i-GATE Innovation Hub, a nonprofit created by Livermore, Dublin, Danville, Pleasanton, and the two laboratories to create a thriving startup scene. As director, Cardwell oversaw the development of the Daybreak Labs startup incubator and the Startup Tri-Valley ecosystem development initiative.

Cardwell also helped lead land-use projects in Livermore like the Isabel Neighborhood Specific Plan, SunCal, and the Well at Sunset. He also helped revamp the city’s outdoor dining program, designed the city’s COVID-19 small business relief program, and its Innovation and Economic Development Strategic Plan.

“The opportunity to work in my hometown has been incredibly rewarding over the past 15 years,” he said. “I’m a product of this community and now I’m raising my kids here, so I know how important Livermore is to the people who live here. I couldn’t be more excited to work with the entire city team, the council and our incredible community partners to strengthen Livermore’s economy and quality of life.”