Business and Intergovernmental Relations

Joe Esch

Joseph Esch was named Executive Director for Business/Intergovernmental Relations in October 2005. In this position, he has responsibility for Economic Development, Intergovernmental Relations and the Sugar Land Regional Airport.

He joined the City in June 1999 as the City’s first Economic Development Director.

As director, he managed the creation and implementation of the City’s Economic Development Program components and operational strategy. Since 1999 they have resulted in more than 50 business location and expansion projects, more than 75 business retention visits, more than $250 million of capital investment, more than 1,200 new jobs with a reported average annual wage of $48,000 and 510 retained jobs with a reported average annual wage of $53,693, and a net impact to the City of more than $5.4 million.

Joe’s work includes the creation and management of the City’s involvement in the Sugar Land Town Square Project, the Sugar Land Conference Center, the development and implementation of the City business incentive programs, the Community Development Block Grant Program, as well as serving as the staff liaison to the City’ s Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone and the two Economic Development Corporations. Additionally, Joe works with the local development community and the Greater Fort Bend Economic Development Council to facilitate the location of new business to Sugar Land.

Joe has an undergraduate degree in Business from Wichita State University, Wichita Kansas, a master’s in business administration from Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota. Prior to joining Sugar Land, he held increasingly responsible positions in the public and private sectors creating and implementing strategies for business retention, expansion, recruitment and public finance programs.

Joe and his family are Sugar Land residents.