Insite Magazine January 2016 | Page 5

Economic Outlook Conference Speakers

Tracye McDaniel

President and CEO
Texas Economic Development
Corporation and TexasOne™
Texas commands top
spots on most of the
credible “best state”
lists including Forbes’
Best State for Economic
Climate & Future Job
Growth; 13 years as the
top exporter state in the
U.S.; and Chief Executive
magazine’s 2015 Best
State for Business.
Those rankings
point to why Texas
is not just a national
leader, but is positioned
to be a world leader,
according to Tracye
McDaniel, president
and CEO of the Texas
Economic Development
Corporation.
“Texas is the 12th
largest economy in
the world, a center of
excellence throughout
the world. That’s the
message I look at as we
move into 2016,” says
McDaniel.“One of Texas’
truest advantages is in
job creation. It all starts
at the local level: we are
a bastion of small- to
mid-size companies that
are growing.” Economic
development can help
local businesses attain
a regional footprint
through collaboration
to expand each small
business’ network.
That leads to supply
chain opportunities –
and growth. “Like in
the Brazos Valley – it’s
very important to have
collaboration, including
civic and academic

collaboration,” says
McDaniel. “Businesses
are attracted to high
energy and access to
things they want.
“‘Texas is wide open
for business’ is more than
just a branding message;
it’s in our DNA and
spirit,” says McDaniel.
“We want you to
grow and do well, and
we want you to have
independence to grow.
Tracye McDaniel currently
serves as president and CEO of
Texas Economic Development
Corporation, an independently
funded and operated 501©(3)
nonprofit organization. The
TEDC mission is dedicated
to economic development,
business recruitment, and job
creation in the State of Texas
and operates the TexasOne™
Program, which coordinates
efforts with the Office of
the Governor for strategic
marketing. McDaniel has more
than 30 years of state and
regional level experience as a
widely recognized strategist
in all facets of economic
development. Formerly the
President and CEO of Choose
New Jersey, Inc., McDaniel
led award-winning global
promotion, lead generation
and project management for
economic growth and job
creation in the Garden State.
In 2007, McDaniel served as
executive vice president and
COO of the Greater Houston
Partnership and as executive
director for the Office of
the Governor Economic
Development and Tourism
Division prior to that. She
holds leadership positions in
numerous professional and
industry organizations and was
named by NJBIZ among New
Jersey’s 2014 Best 50 Women
in Business, as well as the 100
Most Powerful People in New
Jersey Business. A graduate
of the University of Texas at
Austin, McDaniel is also a
Ford Foundation Regional
Sustainable Development
(RSD) Fellow, a program
of American Chamber of
Commerce Executives (ACCE).

Dr. James Gaines
Chief Economist
Real Estate Center at Texas
A&M University

Making his seventh
appearance at the annual
Economic Outlook
Conference, Jim Gaines is
well-known for providing
a torrent of statistics to
back up the real estate
economist’s straight
talk about trends in
local, state, and national
market growth. Gaines
says the long view
holds both caution and
optimism for 2016.
Everything from the
shale oil rig count and
oil’s price per barrel to
the “mental attitude”
of buyers and investors
will play a role in the
2016 market outlook,
says Gaines. Locally,
the biggest factor will
always be Texas A&M
University. University
spending, investment,
building and growth are
all factors that present a
moving target based on
budget funds allocated
by the Texas Legislature,
explains Gaines, which
circles right back to oil
prices and production.
“[Oil revenue] impact
on the university is
impacted by state
revenues,” says Gaines.
“State revenues affect the
Permanent University
Fund, then it’s an every
two-year process. It may
take one to three years;
we may not have felt
the impact of lower [oil]
prices yet.”
Texas’ economic
forecast, based on

high tech and business
services that are fueling
job growth, is expected
to stay relatively strong.
Population expansion
continues to fuel growth.
Locally, the housing
market hasn’t slowed.
“Low inventory has kept
pace of demand high,”
says Gaines. “Some of
the demand is fueled
by retirement, so job
growth is not as critical.
The price per square foot
is also up 6 percent in
2015 over 2014. Median
[home] price is up.”
While Gaines does
expect the local housing
market to slow down in
the first quarter of 2016,
the coming year will
depend on spending by
the university and people
moving into the area.
“We would be wise to pay
close attention to all the
ways growth issues are
becoming more pressing
by causing greater
strain on state and local
infrastructure and
resources,” says Gaines.
Dr. James Gaines is the
chief economist for the Real
Estate Center at Texas A&M
University.

Henry Mayo

Noted B/CS Historian
A lifelong resident of
College Station, Henry
Mayo studied civil
engineering at Texas
A&M University and
has been vice president
of the surveying and
engineering company Joe
Orr, Inc. for 22 years. An
expert on local history,
Mayo gives presentations
to area groups and
authors a local history
e-newsletter. Mayo

is chair of the Brazos
County Historical
Commission and active
in numerous local,
state, and national civic
organizations.

Todd E. McDaniel
President and CEO
The Research Valley
Partnership, Inc.

Todd E. McDaniel has
served as President/
CEO of the Research
Valley Partnership, Inc.
since November 2005.
Additionally, Todd served
as Executive Director
of the Texas Emerging
Technology Fund’s,
Texas Triangle Regional
Center for Innovation
and Commercialization.
Under his guidance
and with the strong
support of communityuniversity partners, the
RVP has transformed
from traditional
economic development
strategies to what
he calls innovation
economic development.
In September 2014,
The RVP launched
the Research Valley
Innovation Center, a
science and technology
incubator/accelerator
with Todd serving as
interim President and
CEO.During Todd’s
tenure as President
and CEO at the RVP, the
organization has won
multiple award