Preston Gibson has resigned as president of the Jefferson Economic Council, the top economic-development organization in Jefferson County.
Gibson’s resignation was effective Wednesday, a day after the JEC’s executive committee met.
“It looks precipitous, but it wasn’t,” board chairman Mike McGinnis said Thursday. Gibson agreed, saying he had been thinking of doing something different for some time.
McGinnis said the JEC executive committee and Gibson had been talking about future plans during the summer in advance of the year-end expiration of Gibson’s employment contract.
“Sometimes within an organization and with any position, you come to the realization that you have been there and done all you can,” said Gibson, who decided to exercise his contract’s buyout provision.
A national search is planned, with a goal of finding Gibson’s successor by the end of the year. Michelle Claymore, JEC’s vice president, will serve as interim president.
“This is really about finding a new direction,” McGinnis said. “We’re still defining that. What we really need to do is fulfill our mission . . . to retain employment and attract as many primary jobs as possible.”
In the past six months, Gibson has spoken out about the need for stronger political leadership on issues such as battling to keep Lockheed Martin’s Orion spacecraft project and a long-term state economic-development plan.
McGinnis said Gibson’s departure is not the result of those comments.
“Preston did a great job for the organization,” McGinnis said. “We had no problems with what he may have stated in the past or the way he conducted the organization. Sometimes you need new leadership.”
Dick Hinson, senior vice president of the Aurora Economic Development Council, said Gibson has been “an invaluable economic-development partner” on issues such as the space industry that affect both communities.
Prior to being named JEC’s president seven years ago, Gibson was Jefferson County’s planning and engineering manager. He also has been a private land planner.
“I may find a position in economic development or land planning, or maybe I’ll do something totally different,” said Gibson, 55. “I am kind of energized by this.”
Ann Schrader: 303-954-1967 or aschrader@denverpost.com
