Governor Chris Sununu to Nominate Taylor Caswell as Commissioner of the Department of Business and Economic Affairs

Concord, NH - Governor Chris Sununu today announced that he will nominate Taylor Caswell of Hollis to serve as the new Commissioner of the Department of Business and Economic Affairs. The nomination will be made at the Wednesday, July 5th, Executive Council meeting.

Governor Sununu said of the announcement, "I am thrilled to nominate Taylor Caswell to serve as the first Commissioner of the Department of Business and Economic Affairs (BEA). Taylor will revamp, refocus, and reinvigorate New Hampshire's commitment to economic development. With Taylor's leadership, the BEA will become a one-stop-shop for all New Hampshire's business needs, which will help drive our economy and make businesses and workforce development a top priority again."

Governor Sununu is refocusing the divisions of economic development, and travel and tourism by splitting them off into a new agency, which will form the Department of Business and Economic Affairs (BEA). The BEA will include a Council of Partner Agencies, consisting of representatives of various state economic development entities, such as the Community Development Finance Authority, Business Finance Authority, New Hampshire Housing Finance Authority, and the Community College System, in order to foster better coordination of the state's economic development efforts. The divisions of Parks and Recreation and Forestry are being combined with the Department of Cultural Resources to form the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.

"I am honored and grateful to be nominated by Governor Sununu as the state's first Commissioner of Business and Economic Affairs," said Taylor Caswell. "This new department will provide a dynamic, energetic approach to economic development in the Granite State, helping create an environment where businesses thrive and create good jobs."

A Littleton native, Taylor Caswell is currently the Executive Director of the New Hampshire Community Development Finance Authority, where he serves as the Chief Executive Officer of the statewide public authority that provides technical and financial resources to community and economic development programs in New Hampshire. Previously a regional administrator at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Taylor has also worked in the private sector, with extensive experience in consulting and government relations.