A new Executive Director and CEO for the Cortland County Business Development Corporation (BDC) and Industrial Development Agency (IDA) has been announced. The news comes after current Executive Director and CEO, Garry VanGorder, announced his retirement after 14 years.
Brendan O’Bryan has been named as the new Executive Director and CEO for the BDC/IDA. O’Bryan has been selected after a nationwide search was done with Pracademic Partners aiding with the search. He is known as a top official with Broome County’s leading economic development organization, The Agency, which O’Bryan has helped secure almost $2 million in state and federal grants to support small businesses. He has also been heavily involved with the preparation of shovel-ready development sites.
“I am honored to have been selected to lead these important organizations and I am excited to join a great team and a dynamic board of directors in the work to move Cortland County forward,” said O’Bryan. “I think we are well-positioned for growth and to attract new investment to help support that goal. I look forward to working with our local, state, and regional partners to do amazing things in the years ahead.”
O’Bryan is also known to play a key role in project development for the Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI) competition winners of Johnson City and Endicott as well as similar economic programs in Broome County similar to the BDC and IDA.
“We are excited about this transition and are thrilled to have someone of Brendan’s caliber join our organization as Executive Director and CEO,” said BDC/IDA board chairman Mike McMahon. “Brendan will hit the ground running. He knows the working mechanics of the county-focused economic development industry, the various players in the field and the collaborative relationship-building that is critical for success.”
