By Pepper Parr
April 19th, 2018
BURLINGTON, ON
This is going to hurt.
Frank McKeown has advised the Board of the Burlington Economic Development Corporation that he will be retiring from his role as Executive Director effective June 27, 2018.
Frank McKeown – speaking at a public meeting.
McKeown joined BEDC in 2014 and quickly began the redevelopment of the business model at BEDC to focus on supporting businesses to locate, start up and expand in Burlington. In 2017, BEDC worked with over 300 businesses to support them to relocate and grow in Burlington. BEDC has helped develop more than 4000 new jobs in Burlington over the last four years.
Among McKeown’s other accomplishments during his tenure:
• aligning BEDCs Economic Vision with the city’s Strategic Plan and the Official Plan
• launching , BEDC’s new innovation centre focused on helping companies start up and grow. In the first year of operations, TechPlace had over 3500 visitors, hosted over 50 events and developed a LaunchPad program that has attracted high growth startups like servicePath and 3terra to Burlington
Frank McKeown, then the Mayors Chief of Staff explains a concept to Ward 5 Councillor Paul Sharman. McKeown was described as the 7th council member during the 2011 Strategic Plan sessions.
• developing a strong focus on partnerships to deliver services to the business community which resulted in initiatives such as Mohawk College Career Crawl and Burlington Day at Mohawk
• ensuring Burlington businesses benefit from the new Advanced Manufacturing Supercluster initiative announced by the Government of Canada.
It is going to be exceptionally difficult to find someone who can pick up where Frank left off. No reason mentioned why he chose to retire.
Anita Cassidy, currently the manager of economic development, will be appointed acting executive director and will be a candidate to fill the role of executive director when the board conducts a search process following the municipal election this November.
I know very little about BEDC and how it operates. The one thing I do know is that it is tied closely to the City of Burlington. Perhaps that is where the organization needs to change. Private entrepreneurs bringing ideas and businesses to the City. No City involvement .
McKeown’s departure is great news for Burlington. THE BEDC was languishing under his leadership. He pursued silly projects that did not deliver anything of consequence: Fresh Insights; the economic partnership with Apeldoorn; the Tech Place co-working space, the trip to Sweden, etc.
His claim the BEDC helped bring 4,000 jobs is based on questionable math and solutions. His attraction ‘strategy’ was to advocate for high-rise intensification, believing that with their construction – the jobs will follow (i.e. more dry cleaners, Tim Hortons, etc).
The BEDC has struggled for quite some time. We need to ask what’s fundamental role is, and how it best serves Burlington’s future.