Opportunity Austin closes in on a new CEO

Opportunity Austin unveiled its OA 5.0 economic growth plan last week, and could have a new top executive by the end of the month. Gary Farmer, who has served as the organization’s interim CEO since it split off from the Austin Chamber of Commerce earlier this year, told the Austin Monitor he expects a permanent CEO will be announced “within the next three to four weeks.” Opportunity Austin opted to conduct its search without a professional recruiting firm, utilizing Austin financial and HR consultants VCFO to help screen applicants who were evaluated by a seven-member committee that Farmer appointed. That executive will be key in executing the plan, which is expected to cost $30 million over the next five years. “(Committee members) said, you know, we’re the 10th largest city in America. We’re supposed to be one of the most innovative, creative, progressive, forward-looking, forward-thinking communities in the country. Surely, we could find one person in the Austin region who would be proper to lead this organization. And I agreed with them,” Farmer said, adding he expects the new CEO to be someone local.