Georgetown’s New Economic Development Director
Even before joining the city’s team as economic development director, Cameron Goodman was one of Georgetown’s biggest fans, often visiting the Square and Red Poppy Festival with his wife and enjoying the friendliness of its citizens. Now he is looking forward to helping shape its future by balancing new growth with the community’s character and historic charm.
How has your background in economic development prepared you?
My background includes working in fast-growing cities like Leander and League City, and also in the historic community of Richmond, Texas, which was also a county seat. I am excited to join the team at the City of Georgetown where I believe I can draw upon previous experiences to help the city continue to develop in a thoughtful and strategic way that balances new growth with history and character.
What led you to the position?
Georgetown is truly a one-of-a-kind community and one I could not be prouder to serve. The city has built a reputation of being a premier destination for high quality economic development projects. On a more personal level, this is a place where I feel a true sense of community is alive and well. My wife and I often found ourselves driving to Georgetown to visit the Square or enjoy events. Each time we visited we couldn’t help but notice the warmth of the community members.
This sense of community and place is rare in our fast-growing region and I believe it will be an important advantage that businesses consider when exploring options for expansions or relocations.
What are some economic development projects in the works?
There are several exciting and impactful projects in the works. As someone just stepping into the role, I am impressed with the diversification of projects already underway, including GAF Energy’s 450,000-square-foot solar roof manufacturing facility, Ascension Seton’s 60,000-square-foot special outpatient surgery center, CelLink’s 294,297-square-foot facility, and a Costco Wholesale store.
In addition to these, I have been excited to see the amount of important infrastructure projects underway or in planning stages. Economic development is a team effort that requires coordination between multiple city departments and external partners to ensure the necessary infrastructure exists to serve a project. The City of Georgetown has done an exceptional job of planning for these critical infrastructure projects, which will enable the Economic Development Department to compete for and win high quality projects while also continuing to make Georgetown the best community to live and work in Texas.
What are your goals for Georgetown?
Georgetown was recently named the fastest growing city in America and is at a pivotal point where the community will see a large number of opportunities for new commercial projects. My primary goal is to work with the development community, members of city staff, and the city’s leadership to help bring projects that are the highest and best use for the community. Georgetown’s skilled workforce, highly competitive business environment, strategic location along I-35 and SH 130, and its high quality of life make the city a strong option for the type of dynamic projects whose partners are searching for options in the Austin region.
I am also looking forward to building strong relationships with existing businesses that have planted roots in Georgetown and continued to provide jobs and economic opportunities for our residents. The Economic Development Department already has a well-run Business Retention & Expansion program and I look forward to working with our staff to ensure existing businesses have the resources needed to continue to make Georgetown their home.