Bradenton Names New EDC Chief

Economic development sounds abstract, but in Bradenton it usually means a very concrete question — who is out there trying to bring employers, investment, and tax base into the area, and who is actually in charge of that pitch? This week, the Bradenton Area Economic Development Corp. answered that. It named Shirar O’Connor as its next president and CEO, with a June 1 start date, ending the interim period that followed longtime leader Sharon Hillstrom’s retirement at the end of 2025. ### Who just got the job? Shirar O’Connor is the incoming head of the Bradenton Area EDC — the regional group that works on business recruitment, expansion, and investment strategy for Bradenton and Manatee County. The appointment came after a nationwide search, which matters because this is not a city department head quietly moved over from another office; it is the public-facing dealmaker role for the area’s growth agenda. ### Why is June 1 important? June 1 is when the EDC gets out of caretaker mode. Since January 15, Amanda Parrish has been serving as interim CEO after Hillstrom stepped down on December 31, 2025. Interim leadership can keep the lights on, but it usually is not the same as having someone with a long runway to set priorities, recruit staff, and build relationships with county commissioners, city officials, and site selectors. ### What does O’Connor actually bring? The big selling point is experience. O’Connor has more than 30 years in economic development, business attraction, and foreign direct investment. Most recently she worked with the Financial Times as director of professional development, training and advising economic development organizations and government agencies around the world on how to improve performance and win capital in order to compete for projects. ### Why does that matter locally? Because Bradenton’s growth debate is not theoretical anymore. The region is adding housing, wrestling with infrastructure strain, and trying to attract employers that raise wages instead of just population. An EDC chief does not control all of that, but the role can shape what kinds of companies get courted, what incentives get pushed, and how the area presents itself to broader redevelopment and workforce strategy. ### Why is the timing a little charged? Because the county had just been rethinking its relationship with the EDC. On April 7, Manatee County commissioners approved a new contract with the Bradenton Area EDC after months of uncertainty and debate. So this hire is not happening in a calm, settled moment. It lands right after the agency secured renewed county backing, which gives O’Connor a firmer platform but also raises expectations fast. ### Is this a city hire or a regional hire? It is regional. The card framing around “Bradenton” is directionally right, but the actual entity is the Bradenton Area Economic Development Corp., which works across the broader area, not just inside City Hall. That distinction matters because the job is tied to countywide business recruitment and cross-jurisdiction growth strategy, not simply municipal planning. ### So what should people watch next? Watch the first few months. O’Connor’s early signals will likely be about target industries, employer recruitment, and how aggressively the EDC tries to position Manatee County for outside investment. The other thing to watch is political alignment — whether county and city leaders stay on the same page now that the agency has a permanent chief again. Bradenton did not just fill an empty chair