FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 21, 2020
Contact:
Peter Leggett
peter.leggett@ci.stpaul.mn.us
651-307-8603
Saint Paul, MN – Today, Mayor Melvin Carter announced that seasoned Oklahoma City economic development leader Nicolle Goodman has been appointed to serve as the new director for Saint Paul’s Department of Planning and Economic Development.
“Nicolle Goodman brings an array of economic development experience and a track record of getting things done,” said Mayor Carter. “I am excited to welcome her to Team Saint Paul, to help continue our vital work of building a brighter future for all of us.”
“Saint Paul has many economic development opportunities on the horizon that will require continued collaboration among our public, private and nonprofit sectors,” said Councilmember Chris Tolbert. “Nicolle Goodman is a leader who is up for the task and who is poised to help us realize incredible projects like the Highland Bridge Site. We look forward to her joining our city’s efforts.”
“I am excited to join the amazing team Mayor Carter has assembled,” said Nicolle Goodman. “I look forward to working with our partners to realize the incredible projects ahead for Saint Paul with equity and inclusivity as our guiding principles.”
“Continuing our work of supporting economic prosperity and creating opportunity to benefit all of our businesses and workers is more critical than ever,” said B Kyle, President, and CEO of the Saint Paul Area Chamber of Commerce. “During the interview process, I was impressed by Nicolle's experience with large projects and her grasp of the importance of community connectedness. We look forward to working with her to build an economic future we all aspire to.”
“We at the Saint Paul Port Authority are excited to welcome Nicolle to the City and look forward to working together to build a stronger Saint Paul,” said Lee Krueger, President of the Saint Paul Port Authority.
“I appreciate Mayor Carter’s ongoing commitment to engaging the business community and other important voices in the process of selecting city leadership,” said Securian Financial Chairman, President, and CEO, Chris Hilger. “Nicolle is an excellent choice and we look forward to welcoming her to Saint Paul.”
“Making sure we continue to nurture and grow our city’s ability to attract entrepreneurs, start-ups, tech companies, and innovative small businesses is essential to charting a path forward for Saint Paul’s future,” said Structural CEO & Co-Founder Scott Burns. “Nicolle Goodman has experience growing jobs through the kind of collaborative leadership we need in PED and will help us meet the many demands we have in our community. We’re excited to continue this work with her.”
ABOUT NICOLLE GOODMAN
Since 2015, Nicolle Goodman has served as Vice President of Operations and Redevelopment Programs for the Alliance for Economic Development of Oklahoma City, a nonprofit corporation contracted by the City of Oklahoma City to manage economic development entities, programs, and projects.
Functions of the organization include coordination, management, planning and/or implementation of the city’s Tax Increment Financing (TIF) Districts, the city’s retail strategy and incentives, city and urban renewal redevelopment programs, identification and development of job creation sites, and public-private development projects.
Nicolle’s recent accomplishments at the Alliance include the management of a Land Use and Strategic Development Plan for the Oklahoma City Innovation District, which included strategies for inclusive growth and wealth building in underserved communities. The first phase of the planned development is expected to generate more than $1 billion in annual economic impact and create 6,600 new jobs. She also played a key role in the development of the Omni Oklahoma City hotel, the headquarters hotel for the new convention center in downtown Oklahoma City. Scheduled to open in early 2021, the hotel is expected to add 520 new jobs and over $75 million in annual net new spending to the Oklahoma City economy.
Prior to that, Nicolle served as the Program Administrator for the City of Oklahoma City’s MAPS 3 Program, the $777 million, third iteration of a long-standing one-cent sales tax initiative for transformative capital improvement projects. MAPS 3 projects included a modern streetcar system, a 70-acre downtown park, a new convention center, a new fairgrounds event center, several senior wellness centers, river improvements, and the addition of sidewalks and trails throughout the city.
Nicolle holds a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from the University of Oklahoma with a concentration in Public Management, and is a Congress for New Urbanism Accredited Professional. She is a graduate of Leadership Oklahoma City and served on the Leadership OKC Alumni board. She has also previously served as president of the board of directors for the Neighborhood Alliance of Central Oklahoma.
She will start as the City of Saint Paul’s new Department of Planning and Economic Development Director on August 3, 2020.
ABOUT THE SELECTION PROCESS
Mayor Carter engaged a community hiring panel to interview applicants, and make finalist recommendations. The community hiring panel for the new director of the Department of Planning and Economic Development included:
- Saint Paul City Councilmember Chris Tolbert - Ward 3
- Scott Burns, CEO & Co-Founder, Structural
- Isabel Chanslor, community leader
- Chris Hilger, Chairman, President & CEO - Securian Financial
- Lee Krueger, President - Saint Paul Port Authority
- B Kyle, President & CEO - Saint Paul Area Chamber of Commerce
- Allison Williams, community leader
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