Opportunity Austin names Casey Dobson as new chair

Casey Dobson, a partner at Scott Douglass & McConnico, has been announced as the chair of Opportunity Austin, the regional economic development initiative under the Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce. Dobson officially took over the role on Jan. 1, succeeding longtime chair and Opportunity Austin founder Gary Farmer, who led the organization for 16 years of its 22-year history. Farmer will remain active on the board as a strategic adviser. Dobson has served on the Opportunity Austin board since 2012 and as vice chair since 2017. In a prepared statement announcing his new role he emphasized his focus on expanding the region’s global reach and attracting foreign investment. “OA’s work and success would not have been possible without Gary’s leadership over the past 20 years. Looking ahead, I’m focused on expanding our international impact by attracting foreign investment and driving business growth. With life sciences as a key priority, we will continue collaborating with regional partners to strengthen our ecosystem and build lasting economic success,” he said. Opportunity Austin has helped create more than 700,000 jobs since its inception in 2004 and has played a role in attracting major corporate investments from companies like Tesla and Samsung Semiconductor. The Opportunity Austin board also welcomed new members:

• David Brewton, managing director, JP Morgan Chase
• Michael Crowl, CEO, University Federal Credit Union
• Miguel Romano, president of foundations, Ascension Texas
• Jeremy Smitheal, partner, Riverside Resources
• Alison Walgren, Central Texas managing principal, Deloitte