Gray selected as vice president for economic development

Friday, June 24, 2005

Thomas F. Gray of Edmond, Oklahoma, has been named vice president for economic development at the Oklahoma State University Center for Innovation and Economic Development.

This position is responsible for recruiting, expanding and retaining industry in this region and will be actively involved in attracting high-tech industries to the state and the Oklahoma Technology Research Park.

“OSU is very pleased that a person of Tom Gray’s caliber, with his years of experience in economic development in this state, will be joining our center,” said System CEO and President David J. Schmidly.

Since 1990, Gray has been the lead development manager and director of the Tulsa Division for the Oklahoma Department of Commerce. He has identified and developed leads with small, medium and large national corporations to locate all or part of their operations in Oklahoma.

In 1986 and 1987, he was selected as a member of the Governor’s Reverse Investment Trade Missions to Japan, and in 1987, he accepted the position of executive director of the Creek County Economic Development Corporation.

Gray also developed a business plan on an annual basis that included global trade assistance, business finance, business development, inland navigation systems promotion, and promotion of the state as a filming location.

His economic development expertise includes serving as vice president for marketing, business development and economic development for the Federal National Bank and Trust Company in Shawnee, Oklahoma, from 1978-86. From 1970-78, he worked for the Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department as assistant director for the Tourism Promotion Division, executive assistant for the Special Projects Division, and information representative.

Gray was a founding director for the National Association of State Film Offices in 1977. He has chaired the Oklahoma Governor’s Industrial Team twice and the Oklahoma Governor’s Film Industry Task Force from 1980-84. He has also served as chair of the Northeast Oklahoma Economic Development Association and was president of the Shawnee Industrial Authority in 1982.

He received his bachelor's degree in journalism and public relations from the University of Oklahoma and has earned certificates of completion from the American Bankers Association, the Oklahoma Bankers Association, and the OU Economic Development Institute.