TEDC and TACC Select New Leader

After an extensive national search, Scott Martinez has been named the new President and CEO of the Tyler Economic Development Council (TEDC) and the CEO of the Tyler Area Chamber of Commerce (TACC). Martinez brings over 20 years of local, regional, and state economic development experience to Tyler and will start work on or before October 1, 2020. Most recently he served over seven years as President at the North Louisiana Economic Partnership (NLEP).

Search Committee Chair, Charles Hill said, “I am pleased to recommend, and the committee is excited to announce, that Scott Martinez will be our next President and CEO. I believe he will bring excellent ideas to our organization and his experience ties in well with where the board would like to see the organization go in the future.” Hill continued by saying, “Of the five finalists we interviewed, Scott was the clear fit for us. His personality, expertise, and network in Texas will serve him well in this role.” Martinez has worked in Texas through much of his career. He effectively served in economic development roles in Conroe, Round Rock, and Hutto in addition to previously working with the Mississippi Development Authority.

During Martinez’s tenure, NLEP became an Accredited Economic Development Organization and executed a comprehensive five-year Strategic Plan (2014-2019) that resulted in 2,131 new direct jobs and $505 million in new direct capital investment. NLEP also earned recognition as a top economic development organization, garnering five peer judged Excellence in Economic Development Awards from the International Economic Development Council (IEDC) and was named Economic Development Partner of the Year in 2017 by the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry (LABI).

TACC Board Chair, June Cheatham, stated, “While we interviewed several excellent candidates, Scott is the most qualified fit for this role. He is clearly the type of leader we set out to find at the beginning of the search process. The search committee moved unanimously to recommend to the TEDC and TACC Boards that we hire Scott and I have every confidence that he will help lead Tyler and the surrounding area toward a bright future.”

“I am very excited to be joining the Tyler Economic Development Corporation and the Tyler Area Chamber of Commerce," said Martinez. "The passion, vision, and quality of the private and public sector leaders were apparent during the search process. The robust growth, expansion of opportunities in higher education, and the community’s long-term commitment to economic development are exceptional.”

Martinez is a native of Laurel, Mississippi, and earned a Bachelor’s degree from Ole Miss as well as a Master of Science degree in Economic Development from the University of Southern Mississippi. He has been designated a Certified Economic Developer (CEcD) by IEDC and currently serves on its Board of Directors and Governance Committee. Martinez served on Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards’ transition team for economic development. He currently serves on two COVID-19 advisory task forces aimed at reopening Louisiana’s economy; the Governor’s Resilient Louisiana Commission and the Louisiana Legislative Advisory Task Force on Economic Recovery. During his time in Texas, Scott served on the Board of Directors of the Texas Economic Development Council.