Erica Grancagnolo has been selected as the Director of Economic and Neighborhood Development for the City of Pensacola, a new position responsible for developing and implementing long-range strategic plans for city economic development.
Grancagnolo has extensive experience in economic development, strategic planning, grant management, capital project funding and more, most recently serving as the Assistant Airport Director and Air Service Development Manager for Pensacola International Airport. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from the University of Arizona, and a Master of Public Arts degree from Texas A&M University.
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Prior to working for the city, Grancagnolo was the Associate Director for Santa Rosa County Economic Development from 2019-2022, where she was responsible for all activities related to business attraction and incentives, business retention and expansion, marketing, workforce development, and program and project management.
“I’m honored to have been entrusted with this new role at the City of Pensacola, and I am excited to get to work on furthering our long-term economic development goals as we continue to foster a thriving city,” Grancagnolo said. “Economic development is at the core of my career experience, and I look forward to working with Mayor Reeves, city staff, local partners and the business community as a whole to implement strategies that will help ensure our mutual success.”
The Economic and Neighborhood Development Director is a new position created at the direction of Mayor D.C. Reeves, with a goal of furthering the City of Pensacola’s economic growth and establishing a dedicated point of contact for businesses interested in potentially relocating to Pensacola.
As the Economic and Neighborhood Development Director, Grancagnolo will assist in developing and implementing the city’s existing and future economic development initiatives, through encouraging businesses to start-up, expand or relocate to the City of Pensacola. She will also serve as a liaison to public and private agencies involved in economic development, while marketing the city to businesses and contacting prospective businesses and agencies.
Grancagnolo will work under the direction of City Administrator Kerrith Fiddler and Mayor Reeves to implement the city’s economic development initiatives, through identifying potential business groups and leaders, assisting with newly established business associations, and planning and organizing a wide variety of economic development programs.
“The economic vitality of our city is essential to building a strong sense of place as Pensacola continues to grow and develop,” Mayor Reeves said. “I am excited to have Erica in this role not only to implement our economic development initiatives and long-term strategies, but also to serve as a liaison and build relationships between the city and the business community. In a competitive market where many businesses could choose to be anywhere in the world, we have to be actively working to make sure they choose Pensacola.”