OKLAHOMA CITY (OBV) – Oklahoma City Innovation District officials completed their national search, selecting a local economic developer to serve as its new president and CEO.
Jeff Seymour, a leader within the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber, will be the new president and CEO of the Innovation District. He is succeeding Katy Evans Boren in the position.
The Innovation District has major developments ahead with the MAPS 4-funded Innovation Hall and the related Convergence Development scheduled to open in early 2025.
The district is also backing a $35-million Build Back Better grant along with state-awarded ARPA funds that are intended to catalyze the region’s innovation assets.
Seymour has a played a key role in Innovation District initiatives, according to Christian Kanady, founding partner and CEO of Echo, and chair of the Innovation District board of directors.
“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,” Kanady said. “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.”
Seymour said he is excited to focus 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.”
The Innovation District was founded in 2019 after a report from the Brookings Institution and the Project for Public Spaces found that the area had the potential to become a regional magnet for innovation and economic development.
The district was created to be a catalyst for Oklahoma City’s professional industries as they collaborate to develop new technologies and services. It seeks to produce substantive programming to motivate collaboration across multiple industries, positioning Oklahoma City to become a global competitor.
Seymour worked for the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber for the last 10 years, serving as the organization’s lead economic developer for the last five years.
“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,” said Christy Gillenwater, president and CEO of the Greater OKC Chamber.
The Innovation District and the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber are collaborating on a leadership transition through the end of the year.
