Tracye McDaniel

Founder and CEO
McDaniel Strategy Ecosystems
Austin, TX

Tracye McDaniel – founder of McDaniel Strategy Ecosystems and a recognized trailblazer in the economic development and travel marketing industry – has been a trusted advisor to CEOs, nonprofits, public organizations and private enterprises for more than three decades. McDaniel is a widely recognized strategist with C-Suite level experience in all facets of the industry. She has earned a reputation of creating mutually beneficial strategic partnerships among leaders, public entities, nonprofits and businesses across a broad spectrum of industries.

Prior to founding McDaniel Strategy Ecosystems, McDaniel led successful public and private state and regional economic development organizations under five governors in two states: Ann Richards, George W. Bush, Rick Perry and Greg Abbott in Texas; and Chris Christie in New Jersey. She most recently served as president and CEO of Texas Economic Development Corporation, Inc. (TxEDC), an independently funded and operated 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to marketing the state globally for business attraction, retention, foreign direct investment leading to job creation and investment for the Lone Star State.

In 2010, McDaniel was tapped by then newly elected New Jersey governor Chris Christie and business leaders to serve as the founding CEO of Choose New Jersey, Inc., a global marketing and lead generation initiative to drive economic growth and job creation in the Garden State. Serving from 2006 to 2011 as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of the Greater Houston Partnership, Houston’s most influential business organization serving over 1200 members companies in a 11-county Houston region, McDaniel refined and implemented the organization’s 10-year strategic plan with the goal of generating $60 billion in capital investment and 600,000 net new jobs for the 11-county Houston region. McDaniel teamed with business leaders to raise more than $32 Million and to devise and execute Opportunity Houston, the organization’s successful economic development global marketing and lead generation initiative.

A committed business and community leader, McDaniel currently serves as Secretary/Treasurer of the International Economic Development Council, the world’s leading organization for industry professionals. She has served on the Board of Directors for the New Jersey Chapter of the NAIOP, the Commercial Real Estate Development Association. She was also appointed by Governor Chris Christie (NJ) to the Council on Innovation and the New Jersey Military Installation Growth and Development Task Force. Governor Rick Perry (TX) appointed McDaniel to the Texas Southern University Board of Regents in 2009 and the TxEDC Board of Directors in 2015.