Bay City, Tex – Eva Peterson, MBA, has been named executive director of the Matagorda County Economic Development Corporation (MCEDC), announced DC Dunham, MCEDC president.
Peterson, set to begin work on Tuesday, May 26, will fill the position left open following Mike Strotheide’s March announcement that he would return to private business after serving as the Corporation’s executive director for almost two years.
We feel we have found an excellent new Matagorda County leader in Eva Peterson,” said Dunham. “We are looking forward to working with her and benefitting from her experience and expertise.”
Peterson began her career in Economic Development in 2003 working for the City of Davenport, Iowa as an Urban Planner in Community and Economic Development. For Escambia County Board of Commissioners in Pensacola, Fla., she managed the Community Redevelopment Agency, Transportation Division and Long Range Planning Division. She served as an instructor in the Bachelor of Business program teaching Economics, Business and Communications at ITT Technical Institute in Mobile, Ala. Most recently, Peterson has been the Marketing Director for the City of El Campo.
Her areas of expertise include team leadership, project management, downtown revitalization, public speaking, strategic planning, budgeting, land use planning, cost/benefit analysis, operations management, market analysis, process improvement, marketing and public relations.
“During the interview process, it was obvious that she would be able to represent the County well to any type of industry looking at Matagorda County,” said Dunham.
Peterson said she is looking forward to getting started in her new position. “Some of my first priorities will be to meet the local decision makers, leaders and volunteers as well as identifying opportunities for growth,” she said. “I’m excited to learn more about the treasures in Matagorda County and using my talents to help make them shine.”
In the long-term, Peterson said she “hopes to develop a long range strategic plan which exceeds the MCEDC Board of Directors’ goals and expectations for our County.”
“We are pleased to welcome Eva to the Matagorda County Economic Development Corporation. Her professional experience in economic development and her personal tenacity will prove to be vastly beneficial for our community, “said Mitch Thames, MCEDC board member.
Peterson moved to Bay City from the Florida/Alabama panhandle with her husband Ryan who works as a Construction Project Manager for TenarisBayCity. Originally, the Petersons hail from Iowa and Illinois.
The Petersons have one son and one daughter, ages 19 and 21. Their daughter currently attends college in Florida and their son will be starting college in Texas in the fall.
Since moving to Matagorda County in 2014, Peterson has already enjoyed becoming an active member of the community. She currently sits on the executive board of the Art League of Bay City and Matagorda County and she is an active member of the Bay City Lady Lions Club. She also served on the executive board of the City of Bay City Main Street Program. Peterson’s other memberships include: National Association of Women MBA’s, American Heart Association and Texas Downtown Association Conference Committee.
