Economic development is a people business, and this week the people are on the move. A veteran of the consulting, state and university sides of the table lands at Kroger. A founding EDC leader in the Lowcountry heads for the exit. City and county chairs change hands from Idaho to the Hudson Valley. And we found five openings worth a close look.
Movers
Kurt Fullbeck takes economic development to Kroger
Kurt Fullbeck has joined The Kroger Co. as senior manager, economic development, he announced on LinkedIn.
His path runs through nearly every seat in the business: site selection consulting at Ernst & Young, business development at REDI Cincinnati, senior vice president for development strategies at the Indiana Economic Development Corporation and, most recently, initiatives and partnerships for Indiana University's Launch Accelerator for Biosciences.
He's seen the table from the consultant's side, the region's side and the state's side. Now he's sitting on the company's.
John O'Toole is leaving Beaufort County EDC
The only executive director the Beaufort County Economic Development Corporation has ever had is moving on.
John O'Toole has led the South Carolina organization since its founding in 2016. He says he's staying in the state and taking a new opportunity he isn't ready to name yet. The Island News reports he expects to leave in mid-November; the board plans to name an interim director.
His exit follows a stretch of public criticism over the corporation's finances. O'Toole told The Post and Courier that the criticism had no bearing on his decision.
For Beaufort County, this is the first leadership transition in the organization's history — and a consequential hire for the next chapter.
Leonard Sledge moves up in Hampton
Leonard Sledge, Hampton, Virginia's chief officer for community and economic development, became an assistant city manager on Sept. 28, overseeing Economic Vitality, Neighborhoods, and Youth and Families.
Sledge, a Hampton native, worked for the city from 2013 to 2017 and returned in June 2024. The promotion also puts an economic development practitioner closer to the center of city management.
Steven Jenkins goes from the utility back to city hall
Steven Jenkins is Nampa, Idaho's new director of economic development.
Jenkins led economic development for neighboring Caldwell until January, when he left to become an economic and community development advisor at Idaho Power. He succeeds Robyn Sellers, who is heading to Boise's Capital City Development Corporation as executive director.
That utility-side experience should travel well in a market where power availability increasingly shapes development conversations.
Jesse Trivette steps in at Caldwell County, N.C.
Jesse Trivette, Caldwell County's existing industry manager, is now interim economic development director, replacing Ashley Bolick. The county credits Bolick's tenure with supporting the roughly $1 billion expansion of Google's Lenoir data center.
Existing-industry people know where the expansions come from. That's a good bench to draw from.
Leslie Wellington is Ulster County's economic development director
Ulster County Executive Jen Metzger has named Leslie Wellington director of economic development; she had served as interim since July. In that stretch, the county says, Wellington launched a revolving loan fund and led its Economic Futures Summit; she previously chaired the Ulster County Economic Development Alliance.
Port of Umatilla hires a trade-and-development director from the grain business
The Port of Umatilla in Oregon has hired Jason Middleton as director of trade and economic development. Middleton was Pacific Northwest regional manager for United Grain Corp. and is a former port commissioner — so he knows the port from both the industry side and the governing side.
Award Winners
Kansas collects eight IEDC Excellence Awards
The Kansas Department of Commerce earned eight 2026 Excellence in Economic Development Awards from the International Economic Development Council: two gold, five silver and one bronze.
The golds went to two housing programs, FRAME (Fostering Residential Advancement through Mentoring and Education) and ROOMS (Residential Opportunities on Main Street). The bronze recognized the Merck Animal Health expansion, known as Project Magenta. The Best in Show winner will be named at the IEDC Annual Conference in New Orleans, Oct. 25–28.
Note what took gold: housing. Housing is site readiness now.
Entergy is a Site Selection "Top Utility" for the 19th straight year
Site Selection magazine has again named Entergy one of its Top Utilities in Economic Development — the 19th consecutive year for the Gulf South utility.
Nineteen years is a streak. And as power availability gates more big projects, utility economic development teams are increasingly central to the site-selection conversation.
Hot Jobs
Big Tech, a railroad, a rural co-op and a New York EDO are all hiring people who sit on one side of the table or the other. Five worth a look:
Mohawk Valley EDGE — President and CEO
Rome, N.Y. · $200,000–$250,000 · View the posting
The CEO sets EDGE's long-range strategy and oversees management of Griffiss LDC and the Oneida County and Rome industrial development corporations.
Why it's interesting: It comes with real sites to sell — including Marcy Nanocenter — and the pay is published.
CSX — Regional Manager, Site Design
Atlanta, Nashville, Charlotte, Birmingham or Jacksonville · View the posting
Manages rail expansion projects for current and prospective CSX customers — concept engineering for new facilities, rail-served sites and industrial parks, plus plan review on announced industry projects.
Why it's interesting: When a project needs rail, this is the person who makes the track work. A track-design engineering background is required.
Shenandoah Valley Electric Cooperative — Associate Economic Development Manager
Winchester, Va. · $104,282–$139,477 · View the posting
Works with state, regional and local EDOs to attract new energy load to the co-op's territory.
Why it's interesting: "Attract new load" is right there in the job description — at six figures for an associate title.
OpenAI — Economic Development Lead
U.S., remote · $176,000–$285,000 plus equity · View the posting
Engages communities before projects go public and owns incentive strategy and negotiations for sites under evaluation.
Why it's interesting: The role sits on OpenAI's Site Readiness & Development team, which the posting says turns powered-land opportunities into infrastructure options.
Google — Strategic Negotiator, Economic Development
Multiple U.S. locations · $176,000–$256,000 plus bonus and equity · View the posting
Runs multi-party incentive negotiations, financial analysis, statutory due diligence and agreement drafting for Google's infrastructure expansion.
Why it's interesting: This is the person across the table from EDOs when Google comes to town.
Got a move, an award or an open seat?
We're watching new hires, promotions, retirements, economic development and site-selection openings — and awards that recognize work other communities can learn from.
Send yours to [email protected].
Movers, Shakers & Award Winners is a curated roundup. Inclusion is editorially selected and is not intended to be a comprehensive listing of industry personnel changes, awards or available positions.