Cedar Park Hires New Economic Development Director

CEDAR PARK, TEXAS — In finding a new director of economic development, Cedar Park officials didn't have to search far and wide. Ben White, former vice president of economic development for the Round Rock Chamber, began his new role with the city on Monday.

While close at hand to city headquarters from his Round Rock perch, White has a long and expansive trajectory. With more than 18 years of experience in the field of economic development, White serves on the board of directors of the Central Texas Foreign Trade Zone and as president of the Williamson County Economic Development Partnership, according to a city-provided bio. Moreover, White was named by Consultant Connect among its Top 50 Economic Developers for 2017.

“The future of Cedar Park presents a lot of opportunity," White said in a prepared statement. "It is an exciting, dynamic community with tremendous leadership in the city council and city manager’s Office. Cedar Park is seen by corporations, site selectors and regional partners as the next job center for the region.”

White said its prized demographics is what makes Cedar Park so appealing. The median age in Cedar Park is a youthful 34.2 years 2, with 45.9 percent of the population with a Bachelor’s Degree or higher and a median household income of $90,160.

“I think the demographics lend themselves well to corporate headquarters, the high tech industry and advance manufacturers,” White said. “The employees they are seeking live here in Cedar Park, and along the corridors that run through Cedar Park.”

City Manager Brenda Eivens said White was the obvious choice to succeed Phil Brewer, who retired in May after 13 years with Cedar Park: “Ben is highly regarded in his field and knows the lay of the land for economic development in this region. He brings the right experience, credibility and approach to lead our economic development program and take it to the next level based on the city council vision and goals for creating job growth in Cedar Park. We are excited to welcome Ben to our community.”

White vowed he would be proactive in luring industry to the city by bringing a high level of enthusiasm in recruiting businesses to Cedar Park. Yet with all his business acumen, it's his penchant for listening that is his greatest strength.

“First I will be heading out and listening," White said. "I’ll be meeting with elected officials, developers and land owners, and listening to what their thoughts are - what has and hasn’t worked here. Then, I’ll develop an aggressive plan to get targeted businesses to come to Cedar Park.”

In addition to luring new projects, White said he would bring to fruition some unannounced projects city staff had been working on prior to his arrival in helping to “...help get over the finish line with the team.”

During his nearly eight-year tenure with the chamber, city officials said, Round Rock announced or completed more than 50 projects totaling over $1 billion and 8,000 jobs in sectors including high tech, medical manufacturing, bioscience, manufacturing, pharmaceutical, high tech manufacturing, information technology, higher education, and distribution, as well as destination projects. Also during his time there, Round Rock was awarded numerous awards and distinctions, among them Texas Economic Development Corporation’s prestigious Community Economic Development Award.

Prior to joining the Round Rock Chamber, White served as the director of economic development for the City of Rowlett, a suburb of Dallas, from 2008 to 2011. From 2000 to 2008 he worked for the Greenville, Texas Board of Development, where he started as projects manager and eventually became executive director. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of Kansas.

On a personal note, Cedar Park officials noted, White is a devout KU Basketball fan who enjoys watching every game with his wife and three children. White expounded on the theme: “The most important thing in my life is my family," he said. "They are the number priority in my life. They are what keeps me going every day. We have a fun house and we laugh a lot."

Get Patch's Daily Newsletters and Real Time Alerts

>>> Image via Shutterstock