Staff & Bios

David Pitstick, President/CEO

Jim Young, Director of Business Development

Greg Sims, Director of Business Retention Expansion

Sherie Ellington, Director of Marketing

Durinda Fisher, Administrative Assistant

 
 

David Pitstick

President/CEO

972-562-5430 Ext. 23

David Pitstick has served as President/CEO of the McKinney Economic Development Corporation since February 2001 with the strategic focus of creating new business parks and recruiting major business. While in McKinney, Mr. Pitstick has directed the relocation of 70 national and international corporations to the city and worked with office and retail developers.
Over the course of Mr. Pitstick's tenure in McKinney, the community has become the fastest growing City in America. Sales tax per capita has doubled and city property taxes have been substantially reduced over the past eight years.

Prior to coming to McKinney, Mr. Pitstick served 11 years as president of the Allen Economic Development Corporation where he was responsible for the recruitment of 42 major corporate projects encompassing more than 5 million square feet.

Over the course of his career, Mr. Pitstick's work has received prestigious awards and recognitions. He has served as on the executive committee for the board of directors of Texas Economic Development Council and chaired the Texas Economic Development Council's Sales Tax Association. He is a board member of many local organizations and has served on the boards of the Heard Museum, Collin County United Way, and Rotary International of McKinney/Allen Chapter.

Mr. Pitstick received a Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration in Finance from the University of Texas at Austin in 1986. He is also a graduate of the Economic Development Institute of the University of Oklahoma at Norman.


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Jim Young

Director of Business Development

972-562-5430 Ext. 28

Jim Young was named Director of Business Development for the MEDC in October of 2004. For the previous four years, Young was Director of Marketing and Redevelopment for the Plano Economic Development Board. He was responsible for the development of the Research/Technology Crossroads in eastern Plano and the redevelopment of maturing areas in Plano.

Prior to that, he was Counselor Coordinator for the CCCCD's Small Business Development Center for Collin County. He graduated with a Bachelor's degree from Stanford University and a Master's Degree from University of Texas at Dallas. He also graduated in 2002 from the Economic Development Institute of the University of Oklahoma at Norman, and he earned his Certification in Economic Development in 2004.

Mr. Young was born in McKinney and moved back to McKinney in 1984 and lives in McKinney's historic district. He is a Past-President of the McKinney Rotary Club, and a Paul Harris Fellow of Rotary International. He served for eight years on McKinney's Board of Adjustment, and he completed Leadership McKinney in 1999. Mr. Young was named Volunteer of the Month by the Heard Wildlife Sanctuary and Museum. He is an active member of the Texas Economic Development Council (TEDC) and the International Economic Development Council (IEDC.)


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Greg Sims

Director of Business Retention and Expansion

972-562-5430 Ext. 25

Gregory "Greg" Sims joined MEDC in June 2009 as Director of Business Retention and Expansion. Prior to joining MEDC, Mr. Sims was Vice President of Real Estate Lending for Highlands Bank in Preston Center, Dallas, Texas. Mr. Sims accumulated and managed a $16 million real estate loan and deposit asset portfolio. Prior to his lending role, Mr. Sims was a partner with his father, J. D. Sims, in Rampart Associates, Dallas, Texas. He assisted in real estate development, site selection, incentive negotiation and construction management of various projects ranging from branch banks to $15 million, state of the art manufacturing facilities.

Prior to Rampart Associates, Mr. Sims was Vice President for approximately ten years for the Garland Economic Development Partnership, Garland, Texas. Mr. Sims facilitated the development of over $1 billion in new tax base growth during his tenure with projects and clients such as AMC Theaters, Bass Pro Shops, Brinker International, CB Richard Ellis, Eckerd's, General Dynamics, JC Penney Company, Kraft Foods, Kroger's, Lucent Technologies, Pro Logis, Samina Corp., Sears Logistics, Simon Property Company, Sherwin Williams, Staubach Company, Trammell Crow, and Valspar. He brings more than twenty years experience in commercial real estate, lending and economic development to the MEDC. A fourth generation Texan, he earned his BBA degree majoring in real estate from The University of North Texas in 1988.


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Sherie Ellington

Director of Marketing

972-562-5430 Ext. 24

Sherie Ellington joined MEDC in April of 2008 where she oversees and implements economic development marketing and advertising strategies that promote McKinney to business and industry. From 2003-2008, she worked as marketing manager for the Cedar Hill Economic Development Corporation where she designed a nationally recognized brand and successfully established relationships with key industry and media contacts.

In 2008, Ms. Ellington co-authored The Super Antioxidant Diet & Nutrition Guide (Hampton Roads Publishing, February 2008) and also wrote a weekly Sunday newspaper column from 1993-1996. She has created numerous websites including an online teaching tool used by 8th grade history teachers in California public schools. She worked as communications director for the Greater Waco Chamber of Commerce from 1994-1999. Her work has won awards from organizations like International Economic Development Council, Texas Chamber of Commerce Executives and the America Chamber of Commerce Executives.

Ms. Ellington has served on the judging panel for International Economic Development Council since 2006 and the Board of Directors for CoreNet Southwest since 2007. She graduated with an A.A. from Texas State Technical College, a B.A. from University of Texas at Arlington, and an M.A. from San Francisco State University. She is a 2007 graduate of Economic Development Institute of the University of Oklahoma at Norman. She is a graduate of Leadership Waco (1992) and Leadership McKinney (2009).


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Durinda Fisher

Administrative Assistant

972-562-5430 Ext. 21

Durinda Fisher has worked as Administrative Assistant for MEDC since July, 1994. Before moving to McKinney, Durinda worked from 1981-1993 as both Office Administrator and Legal Secretary for the Ohio Township Association in Columbus, Ohio. Durinda has also worked for motivational speaker, Don Hutson, in Memphis, Tennessee.

Ms. Fisher has since been active in many community organizations and activities: McKinney Living Board member, former McKinney Kiwanis Board member, former Community Lifeline Center Board member, Volunteer Center Wacky Waiters Committee, City Economic Redevelopment Committee, graduate of the 1997-98 Leadership McKinney Chamber; graduate of the Fall 1998 McKinney Citizen's Police Academy, McKinney Total Quality Conference Committee, McKinney Chamber United Way Tour Committee, McKinney's 150-Year Book Committee, McKinney Heart Ball Committee and Tiger Cub Den Leader for the Boy Scouts of America.

She was named Employee of the Quarter by the McKinney Rotary Club (Fall 1995). She was recipient of the 2002 Kiwanian of the Year Award. She also volunteered for many years with the Columbus Children's Hospital TWIG organization in Columbus, Ohio. Ms. Fisher is a graduate of Columbus Business University.


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