City turns to development veteran

Successor to Jennifer Ekey in Middletown has 24 years of experience.

MIDDLETOWN — Middletown has a new economic development director, who comes to the table with 24 years of experience in the business.

Chris Xeil Lyons of West Chester Twp. is on Tuesday’s agenda to be confirmed by Middletown City

Council for the position which pays $95,166 per year, according to Acting City Manager Susan Cohen.

Lyons was selected from a field of 36 applicants for the position that was vacated in January by Jennifer Ekey, who became the economic development director for the Clinton

Chris Xeil Lyons

County Port Authority.

Lyons will start her new position pending the completion of a background check and drug screen, according to city spokeswoman Shelby Quinlivan.

In her application letter, she believed her 24-year career and her “ability to cultivate strong, meaningful relationships with our region’s industry leaders, and my extensive experience in community revitalization makes me eminently qualified for this position.”

Lyons is currently an economic development consultant and is the former economic development director for Sharonville, a position she held for seven years before leaving that post last November.

Lyons was the first person appointed as Sharonville’s economic development director.

During her tenure, Lyons said, Sharonville created more than 6,000 new jobs and realized more than $400 million in new investments, which brought an increase of over $8 million dollars to the city’s annual income tax collections. Her key responsibilities in

Sharonville were leading the city’s business recruitment, expansion, retention, workforce, land acquisition and marketing efforts.

She also served as the liaison among the city and businesses, community/educational partners, Sharonville Chamber of Commerce, and local, regional and state economic development organizations, where she also served as a board member.

In her career, Lyons gained extensive experience with

Development