Oklahoma City Innovation District Names Jeff Seymour President and CEO
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Oklahoma City–Following a national search, the board of the Oklahoma City Innovation District has named local economic developer Jeff Seymour as the organization’s new president and CEO. The Innovation District is at a critical juncture, with the MAPS 4-funded Innovation Hall and the related Convergence Development set to open early next year. The organization is also actively supporting a $35 million Build Back Better grant along with state-awarded ARPA funds, all designed to catalyze the region’s innovation assets.
“As we interviewed candidates from across the country, it became clear that Jeff’s leadership in the grant process and his work developing our region’s assets, along with his engagement with each of our key industries, uniquely positions him to take advantage of this inflection point in our growth,” said Christian Kanady, founding partner and CEO of Echo, and chair of the Innovation District board of directors. “Seymour’s experience gives him the ability to hit the ground running on all of our strategic initiatives. He has been working in each of our target industries, led the efforts to apply for and win the federal grant, and is working closely with our community partners.”
The Innovation District, founded in 2019, was established following a report from the Brookings Institution and the Project for Public Spaces, which determined the area had the potential to become a regional magnet for innovation and economic development. The strategic effort aims to create a district that serves as a catalyst for Oklahoma City’s professional industries as they collaborate to develop new technologies and services. In addition to placemaking and strategic collaboration, the district will create substantive programming to inspire collaboration across multiple industries, positioning Oklahoma City to compete on a global scale.
Seymour expressed his excitement about transitioning to a focused effort on innovation. “This role will give me the opportunity to focus on advancing our vision of a cohesive regional economy with innovation at the core,” he said. “The groundwork laid in the creation of the Innovation District, along with the work of the last eight years and the community’s regional economic development plan, puts us in a position to make significant progress. The strong partnerships between businesses, research, community development, and government coming together in this district provide the synergy and momentum that will fuel our community’s growth.”
For the last 10 years, Seymour has worked for the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber, serving as the organization’s lead economic developer for the last five years. Christy Gillenwater, president and CEO of the Chamber, emphasized the importance of the Innovation District and the partnership. “The Chamber, in conjunction with other critical partners, has championed this effort from the beginning. Jeff’s vast understanding of our region’s economic development assets will enable dynamic growth for the district.”
The Innovation District and the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber are working together on a leadership transition through the end of the year.
Media Contact:
Emma Anderson, Marketing Manager
Oklahoma City Innovation District
734-756-5943