The Bradenton Area Economic Development Corp. board of directors has appointed Shirar O’Connor as its president and chief executive officer.
A Florida native, O’Connor graduated from high school in Clearwater and graduated from the University of Florida in Gainesville.
“Returning to Florida to serve a place I call home is incredibly meaningful to me,” she said in a press release. “The Bradenton Area has tremendous potential, and I look forward to working alongside our public and private partners to drive sustainable economic growth, support high-quality job creation and build on the region’s momentum.”
Coming from the Financial Times, where she served as director of professional development, O’Connor brings more than 30 years of global leadership experience in economic development, business attraction and foreign direct investment to the EDC.
She previously served as vice president of marketing for the state of Connecticut’s public-private economic development agency, AdvanceCT, among other organizations.
She has advised more than 120 economic development organizations around the globe.