The City of Victoria’s Economic Development department is broadening its business retention and expansion efforts with the addition of a new staff member who will work closely with Victoria business owners to help them thrive.

The City has hired Chris Conner as its first-ever business retention and expansion manager. Conner’s career has included various roles in managing relationships between businesses and government entities, most recently as the business development manager for the Central Florida Development Council. He also holds a certificate of economic development from the University of Oklahoma Economic Development Institute.

“My goal is to provide open-ended support for whatever people might need,” Conner said. “If a business owner is having difficulties then we want to help before it’s too late, and if someone is looking to expand, we can provide resources to help with that as well.”

Conner will serve as a liaison between business owners and agencies that support the business community. Through these connections, he will learn about the needs of individual businesses, both large and small, and guide them to the appropriate resources or agencies.

“Before the Economic Development department was created, our formal business retention efforts were primarily focused on downtown through the Victoria Main Street program,” said Economic Development Director Danielle Williams. “As the City’s economic development efforts have grown, we have sought out more opportunities to support all businesses, and we are excited to take the next step with the business retention and expansion manager position.”

Stay connected

Williams and Conner will appear on an upcoming episode of the City’s podcast, Town Talk, to share more details about initiatives related to the new position. Past episodes of Town Talk are available on YouTube at Victoria Texas Videos or on Spotify at Town Talk (City of Victoria).

To learn more about how the City of Victoria supports economic development, visit www.growingvictoriatx.com.