Anne Arundel County Executive Steuart Pittman has appointed Amy Gowan as the new CEO of the Anne Arundel County Economic Development Corp. She will begin her new position in April.
Gowan comes to the county after a seven-year tenure with Howard County Government, where she recently led a department of more than 50 employees as the director of the Office of Planning and Zoning. In that role, she created and taught a Citizen Planning Academy; administered the state’s sustainable communities program; and oversaw the implementation of the county’s General Development plan, an urban renewal project, with an emphasis on community engagement.
Earlier in her career, she served as the assistant deputy director for economic development in the City of San Diego. During that time, she oversaw the implementation of several large economic development drivers, including the Business Improvement Districts, Maintenance Assessment Districts, a $15 million community development Block Grant Program, business expansion and retention efforts, and small business development assistance, while overseeing a $6.8 million division budget.