Henrico Economic Development Authority Executive Director Gary McLaren to Retire

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Oct 22, 2018, 06:50 ET

HENRICO, Va., Oct. 22, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Gary McLaren, who has served as executive director of the Henrico Economic Development Authority (EDA) since April 2009, will retire in February 2019.

"It's been a true honor to lead the Henrico EDA for the last decade," says McLaren. "Working with Henrico leadership to cultivate a pro-business climate that supports 25,000 businesses and 335,000 residents has been a welcome challenge and a gift. I'll treasure the connections I've made – from Fortune 1000 companies to small family-run businesses. They're all the lifeblood of our county. It's rewarding to know I leave behind an outstanding team of eight professionals who will continue to support Henrico's solid economic development program and a well-positioned White Oak Technology Park that will continue to attract jobs and investment."

McLaren's career in economic development spans more than 41 years. Before joining the Henrico EDA, he served for 10 years at the Virginia Economic Development Partnership (VEDP), Virginia's primary statewide economic development agency, for four years as director of business development and six years as deputy director. Prior to that, he was the director of the Chesterfield County Department of Economic Development for more than 11 years. McLaren came to Virginia in 1985 as the economic development director for the City of Chesapeake.

During McLaren's tenure, the EDA announced more than 12,000 new and retained jobs and more than $3.5 billion dollars in capital investment. He and his team worked with allies like the Greater Richmond Partnership, the VEDP, and Dominion Energy to attract more businesses to Henrico County. They also traveled on marketing missions to meet face to face with international and domestic companies. In the 2016-2017 fiscal year alone, McLaren helped generate 92 new projects and over $30 million in net new wages.

"During his tenure, Gary helped bring global companies like Anord Control Systems, Teleperformance, and Polykon Manufacturing LLC to the county," says Floyd Mays, Henrico EDA Board Chairman. "For 10 intense months, he worked to attract Facebook to White Oak Technology Park. In large part due to his efforts, the social media company is making a $2 billion investment in the county to build one of the most energy- and water-efficient data centers in the world. Henrico EDA has had tremendous success under Gary's leadership. He will be sorely missed."

McLaren is looking forward to traveling, spending more time with his wife of 41 years, Cathy, and meeting new challenges in his next stage of life. The Henrico EDA is actively searching for a replacement and hopes to name a new executive director by January 2019.

About the Henrico EDA
Located in the heart of the Eastern Seaboard, Henrico is an AAA-bonded county located adjacent to Virginia's capital city of Richmond. The EDA is your single point of contact for business development and site selection services. Find properties and run reports with our GIS tool at HenricoProperties.com. Learn more about White Oak Technology Park, a master-planned high-tech manufacturing park, at whiteoaktechpark.com. Visit Henrico.com for the latest news and to sign up to receive our Property Now and Henrico Now newsletters.

SOURCE Henrico EDA