This month’s episode of Economic Development Secrets features Kelly Kinsey Overby, Business Retention & Expansion Director for the Longview EDC.
Ms. Overby joined the Longview Economic Development Corporation in June of 2007 as a talent recruiter presenting the “Career Choices in East Texas” program in local junior high and high schools, informing students about their career and education opportunities. She has spoken to over 20,000 students, counselors, ESL and GED students in the past ten years. Ms. Overby now serves as the Director of Business Retention & Expansion, where she is responsible for encouraging the growth and expansion of Longview companies. Her primary responsibility is developing, maintaining and strengthening relationships with the CEOs, plant managers and human resource representatives of Longview’s existing business and industry. This focused strategy of internal business development assists in identifying new target companies, as well as workforce needs.
Ms. Overby serves as a council member and secretary for the Texas ACT State Organization. She serves as a board member on the Greater Longview Organization of Business and Education (GLOBE) as well as on local advisory committees for TSTC-Marshall, Kilgore College and several local high school Career and Technology programs. She serves her community as a Board member of the Greater Longview United Way.
She earned a Bachelor’s degree in Business Management from LeTourneau University and a Master’s degree in Public Administration from the University of Texas at Tyler. She is also a graduate of the University of Oklahoma’s Economic Development Institute.
She recently married her cowboy Bill Overby and they have nine children and eleven grandchildren. She enjoys spending her free time with family on their farm in Diana, TX.
