The City of Plano has named Doug McDonald as the Director of Economic Development.
He’ll take the post held by long-time director Sally Bane, who retired in July. Bane’s tenure was marked by some 149 corporate relocation and expansion projects and the creation of more than 45,000 jobs.
It’s a return to familiar territory for McDonald, who worked for the city for nearly five years as a comprehensive planning manager, before departing to work for the City of Richardson.
McDonald—currently the interim executive director for the Richardson Economic Development Partnership and the managing director for the city’s Office of Innovation—was key in the creation of the Richardson Innovation Quarter. Other significant projects during his time in the city include transit-oriented development along the DART red-line and collaborative new programs that support Richardson’s startups and small businesses.
McDonald will take the economic development helm in Plano on September 26.
A native North Texan, the economic developer has master’s degrees in public administration and city and regional planning from the University of Texas at Arlington.
McDonald’s 15 years in local municipal government includes positions in Arlington and Keller. That experience spans economic development, project management, long-range and neighborhood planning, historic preservation, and cross-sector partnerships focused on shared business development efforts.
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