Texas

By Jane Witowich, business operations manager, Day One Experts In Collin County, two fast-growing Texas cities are charting a new path for economic development that prioritizes efficiency, adaptability and smart decision-making over traditional staffing models. Fairview and Melissa, a pair of suburban communities facing explosive population growth and mounting development pressure, have adopted a fractional approach to economic development. Instead of creating or adopting full-time, in-house departments, both cities have strategically partnered with outside expertise to stay visible in national site selection circles, foster new investment and keep costs in check. That decision, born out of necessity, is quickly proving to be a blueprint for others. A Model Rooted in Strategy The challenges faced by these teams in Fairview and Melissa are familiar to city leaders across Texas: developer interest is growing, expectations from residents are rising and yet budgets remain constrained. Hiring full-time economic development staff, building marketing infrastructure and funding national outreach campaigns — these initiatives often stretch beyond what smaller cities can reasonably afford. Rather than let those constraints define them, Fairview and Melissa made the deliberate choice to adopt a fractional model. Through partnerships with experienced consultants such as Day One Experts, led by veteran economic …