Columbus chamber promotes Sillitto to top economic development job
The Greater Columbus Chamber of Commerce said Wednesday that it has a new top economic development officer.
The organization said Brian Sillitto, with the chamber since 2004, has been promoted to executive vice president of economic development, moving up from senior vice president of economic development.
He succeeds William “Bill” Murphy, who departed the chamber of commerce recently and is now in Oklahoma, taking the job of vice president of economic development at the Tulsa Regional Chamber. Tulsa is the second-largest city in Oklahoma and is well known for its oil and gas industry. Murphy had been with the Columbus chamber since January 2014.
“Promoting Brian was an easy decision,” Chamber President Brian Anderson said in a statement. “His experience in the field, his ability to lead and the valuable relationships he has established throughout the years will be instrumental in the success of our economic development efforts here at the chamber.”
Sillitto started as a project manager for economic development at the chamber, transitioning from a television career at Columbus CBS affiliate WRBL. He has earned a “certified economic developer” designation, essentially an educational and experience stamp of approval from the International Economic Development Council.
The chamber said Sillitto’s efforts over the past 13 years have culminated with nearly 70 development projects or expansions, generating more than 5,000 jobs and $600 million in capital development.
More: Why Columbus could not attract an Amazon distribution center
He takes the economic development reins at the chamber with the city most recently having assisted in the expansion of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Georgia at Muscogee Technology Park, followed by the current expansion of Pratt & Whitney, the longtime Columbus aerospace aircraft parts manufacturer and engine center repair and overhaul facility.
Sillitto has his work cut out for him moving into 2018, considering the competitive nature of economic development, with cities and states across the U.S. and around the world looking to land new employers, often with tax breaks, free land and other incentives, in exchange for the jobs and payroll they create in communities, where money is spent and taxes are levied on everyday goods, vehicles and homes.
“I’m always cognizant of the fact that we’re in it to win it, and winning projects and economic development is the reason I get up in the morning ... so that people in this region will have a good job,” Sillitto commented in late October after online retail king Amazon.com announced it will be constructing and opening a distribution center in Macon, Ga., east of Columbus. It is expected to employ more than 500 people.
The Columbus metro area unemployment rate in October came in at 5.1 percent, an increase from 4.9 percent in September. That ties the city with Warner Robins at 5.1 percent, which is just off the highest jobless rate in Georgia, with Albany at 5.2 percent. The Georgia Department of Labor will release November unemployment rates for the state and metro areas in the next two weeks.
This story was originally published December 13, 2017 at 12:31 PM with the headline "Columbus chamber promotes Sillitto to top economic development job."