'I am ready to lead,' Mulcahey tells Q-C Development Group
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By Doug Schorpp | Wednesday, January 16, 2008 |
It took awhile, but the Quad-City Development Group finally got the new president/CEO it was interested in all along.
Nancy Mulcahey, 51, was introduced Wednesday during the group’s annual meeting at the Isle of Capri Convention Center in Bettendorf. She takes over immediately for interim president/CEO John Gardner, who will go back into retirement Friday, his last day on the job, he said.
“We just saw Nancy as the logical choice, but not in the beginning because she was not in the game,” said Carrie O’Neill, chairwoman of the development group board. “But things just worked out for us.”
“I am ready to lead,” Mulcahey told the luncheon meeting audience.
She went on to say that her journey in life has been full of challenges. And that can especially be said of the past six months.
Mulcahey worked 10 years for the Bi-State Regional Commission, followed by 13 years as the city of Moline’s economic development director. Then, she worked four years as northwest regional director for the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity. She was fired in July, and some state lawmakers suggested that Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich was playing politics in his decision to let her go.
She admitted that after her experiences on the state level, she needed time off to reassess her career goals. At the same time, Gardner and O’Neill said Mulcahey was on their radar.
“She decided to take a
sabbatical. Everybody started thinking about her, but she needed time,” O’Neill said.
So, O’Neill said the development group went ahead with a national search for Gardner’s replacement. Then, the organization hired Mulcahey in late October as a vice president to head up its marketing staff and assume responsibilities previously handled by Thom Hart.
Hart, who led the development group as president/CEO from 2000 until July before stepping down to a job with other duties, was named in October as infrastructure and transportation coordinator for the Iowa Department of Economic Development. Gardner came out of retirement in July to fill the job he previously had held.
O’Neill said while the national search continued, “we got a first-hand look” at how Mulcahey did her job, especially in economic development concerns. “It became apparent we had the right person right before our nose.”
“She just became part of the process,” Gardner said. “Her name came up. She had been someone on the radar screen. I think it was prudent to take a national look (for a successor). But the final result was the right one.”
Mulcahey offered a confident, detailed message Wednesday, outlining her experiences and her handprint on other area projects, especially in Moline. “I know the players and I know the people who know the players in the economic development arena of the Quad-Cities.”
She said no single community can be successful in economic development, which is why working together is so vital. In addition, she told members they will “listen to suggestions and seek your expertise.”
“The future is here,” she said. “The Quad-City Development Group can and will play a more significant role.”
Doug Schorpp can be contacted at (563) 383-2292 or dschorpp@qctimes.com.
Nancy Mulcahey
Age: 51
Childhood: Grew up in Dayton, Ohio
Education: Bachelor of science degree from Western Illinois University, Macomb; MBA, St. Ambrose University, Davenport
Employment: Bi-State Regional Commission, 1980-1990; City of Moline economic development director, 1990-2003; Northwest regional director, Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, 2003 to July 2007
Something she likes about herself: Being a good facilitator, a good team player. “I try to work with people. I try to bring people together. I like being part of a team.”
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