James Coleman has been hired as the new president and CEO of the Prince George’s County Economic Development Corporation. Coleman replaces Gwen S. McCall who has led the agency since 2011. As reported in The Washington Post:

Coleman has spent nearly three decades in business and government. According to Westchester County news reports, he oversaw more than a dozen projects, including finding bonding for a large construction project to expand Pace University.

Coleman started work Monday. He said he will carry on what his predecessor started with the Economic Development Initiative fund and executing plans for the development of retail, commercial and residential “villages” around the county’s five metro stations.

“We want to make sure businesses in Washington, D.C. and the Virginia suburbs realize that instead of moving into the city, where real estate is higher, they can move to Prince George’s, where the talent is just as good and the land is cheaper,” Coleman said.

He said his “first focus, on a daily basis” is to help find jobs for the estimated 24,000 county residents who are looking for work.

For more information read the full article in The Washington Post.