City Hires Economic Development Director

The City of Elk Grove has chosen Randy Starbuck, the former redevelopment director for Pittsburg, Calif., as its new in-house economic development director, city officials announced today.

City council members decided earlier this year that the city needed its own economic development chief amid concerns about , a public-private partnership formed to spur job creation. The EDC helped create only 70 jobs during its first five years and failed to file required financial reports to the city.

While the city continues to invest in the EDC——it's also hedging its bets by building its own team that will work closely with the non-profit to bring new business to the city.

City manager Laura Gill called Starbuck "an extraordinarily accomplished economic development professional" and said that he had attracted over $400 million in investment in Pittsburg's economy during his tenure.

Starbuck serves on the Board of Directors for the California Association for Local Economic Development and holds a master's degree in public administration from Northern Illinois University.

He starts work October 10 and will draw an annual salary of $132,600.