Greater San Marcos Partnership makes staff changes

The region’s economic development organization, the Greater San Marcos Partnership (GSMP), has undergone significant staff changes in preparation for an aggressive 2019 agenda. Recent changes include filling three key positions: vice president of Economic Development, director of Marketing and Communication and manager of Existing Business and Workforce Development. Filling these positions will allow GSMP to continue its mission to grow and attract quality jobs with higher wages throughout Hays and Caldwell counties.

“The experience and skill sets we have been able to secure with the addition of these new team members will allow the Greater San Marcos region to be more competitive in attracting new job producing investments in 2019 and into the future,” GSMP President Adriana Cruz said.

Jason J. Giulietti recently relocated from Connecticut to join GSMP as vice president of Economic Development. Giulietti has a career spanning more than a decade in a variety of positions in business, economic development and public policy. Most recently, he was the vice president of Business Recruitment at The Connecticut Economic Resource Center, Inc. (CERC), a statewide nonprofit public-private partnership that provides economic development services consistent with state strategies. Guilietti was selected as a 40 under 40 recipient for both Connecticut Magazine and the Hartford Business Journal. Most recently in 2018, Giulietti was nationally recognized by Consultant Connect as one of the top 50 economic developers in the country. In his new role at GSMP, Giulietti will lead the recruitment of high-value prospects in targeted industry sectors including but not limited to aerospace and aviation, information technology, life sciences, material sciences, advanced manufacturing, corporate operations, distribution, and destination attraction.

With over 20 years of experience in marketing, public relations and communication, John E. Ellis has joined the GSMP as director of Marketing and Communications. Ellis, a native of San Antonio, was most recently the vice president of Communication and Membership at the San Antonio Economic Development Foundation. In San Antonio, over Ellis’ 4-year tenure, his marketing efforts contributed to the acquisition of 12,000 new jobs resulting in over $4 billion in annual economic impact. As the director of Marketing and Communications, Ellis will develop and oversee strategic marketing initiatives to promote the region’s benefits and many assets to help grow, retain and attract new quality jobs and investments, as well as oversee national and regional public relations and media efforts.

Christian Duran, formerly the research analyst at GSMP for 3 years, has been promoted to manager of Existing Business and Workforce Development. In Duran’s prior role, he provided an array of research, data aggregation and analysis that contributed to GSMP’s ability to recruit new employers. This includes work done to secure the Amazon Fulfillment Center in 2016. Duran’s research for the 2016 Center for Opportunity Urbanism’s “Texas Way of Urbanism” report earned him published acknowledgements and the report results were featured in Forbes Magazine. Originally from Austin, Duran’s new role will charge him with supporting the existing businesses in the region to identify opportunities for growth, as well as facilitating relationships between the region’s educational institutions, industry and workforce development partners.

The eight-member team at the Greater San Marcos Partnership have secured 4,119 direct new jobs and $569,950,000 in capital investment for the region since its inception in 2010.

The Greater San Marcos Partnership (GSMP) is the 501(c)(6) regional economic development organization serving the city of San Marcos, and Hays and Caldwell counties focused on positioning the region for a wider diversity of quality jobs with higher wages. The GSMP mission is to increase economic opportunities for all in the heart of the Texas Innovation Corridor. Visit the GSMP's website for more information.