Martinez Resigns

"We Need To Take Our Effort . . . To The Next Level"

Gov. Jay Nixon's director of Economic Development has resigned after only a little more than eight months on the job.

The St. Louis Business Journal first reported the resignation HERE.

In a brief statement, Martinez reportedly wrote to Nixon, "I am sorry we have been unable to meet and therefore we have been unable to discuss and reconcile our different views on how to move the state that we both love forward."

Martinez, a St. Louis lawyer, was the first woman to hold the position of Economic Development director.

NIXON STATEMENT:

"Today, I accepted the resignation of Linda Martinez as director of the Missouri Department of Economic Development. I appreciate the work Linda has done over the first eight months of this administration. Her efforts to create jobs and to give the department increased economic development tools, including the successful passage of a bi-partisan jobs bill, will continue to pay dividends to the people of Missouri. I wish her success in her return to private practice, where she will continue to be an asset to this state. It is clear that we need to take our effort to create jobs to the next level. To that end, I have started a Show-Me Business Tour to meet with business leaders across the state to hear about the opportunities and challenges facing their companies," Gov. Nixon said.

"There is much work to be done to attract more businesses to Missouri and put more of our citizens back to work. We will immediately begin a search for a new director. Until that time, Deputy Director Katie Steele Danner will be the interim director of the department," he added.