‍Experienced project manager takes reins of corporate recruitment efforts

SALT LAKE CITY (November 13, 2020) —The Economic Development Corporation of Utah (EDCUtah) announced today the promotion of Colby Cooley to vice president of business development.

“In his five-plus years at EDCUtah, Colby Cooley has gained in-depth experience in a number of industry sectors and has excelled at project management and lead generation,” said Theresa Foxley, president and CEO of EDCUtah. “His success in directing our Global Strategy & Outreach program and in coordinating with multiple partners to land complex expansions such as Northrop Grumman, Williams International, and others have earned him this promotion.”

A graduate of the University of Utah with a BA in History, Cooley joined EDCUtah in 2015 after serving as a Fellow in the Governor’s Office of Economic Development. He has managed corporate expansion projects in the outdoor products, manufacturing/distribution, aerospace/defense, and life sciences industry sectors.

Cooley currently leads EDCUtah’s Global Strategy and Outreach program which uses analytics to proactively target high-potential companies in out-of-state markets. The program contributed 22 projects to the pipeline in FY 2017-18, 22 projects in FY 2018-19, and nine projects in FY 2019-20 prior to travel restrictions being put in place.

“Straight out of college, I had the good fortune to wind up on an economic development career path,” said Cooley. “It’s become a passion, and I’ve benefited from some great mentors along the way. I love the opportunity that working at EDCUtah provides to meet people from all over the world, to be involved in important decisions being made in Utah, and to tap the incredible resources in the community at large.”

The promotion will take place immediately, with management responsibilities for EDCUtah’s business development function transitioning over the balance of this fiscal year. Cooley will report to COO Mike Flynn, who has to this point overseen business development.

For more information on EDCUtah’s business development efforts, contact Cooley at ccooley@edcutah.org.

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