(Sept. 3, 2019) – Following a national search, UTSA today announced the selection of Rodrick McSherry as the new Associate Vice President for Innovation and Economic Development, which includes leadership of UTSA’s Institute for Economic Development (IED). McSherry began in this new role today.
At UTSA, McSherry will lead the activities of nine economic development centers and programs, overseeing the Office of Commercialization and Innovation and managing a staff of over 140. His directives include expanding the reach of current programs, building new relationships with stakeholders, and developing new funding sources, both from the public and the private sectors.
This position reports directly to the Office of the Vice President for Research, Economic Development, and Knowledge Enterprise (VPREDKE).
McSherry’s background includes academic, government and corporate experience. He comes to UTSA from New Mexico State University (NMSU) where he served as associate provost and also lectured on foreign affairs and U.S. international economic development. He served as a senior foreign service officer and worked in many countries including Afghanistan, where he coordinated a $1 billion portfolio of economic development projects funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development. A polyglot, he speaks six languages: Spanish, English, French, Greek, Thai and Russian. He has a Masters of International Agricultural Economics and is currently working on a Ph.D. in Economic Development.
Al Salgado has been serving as Interim Executive Director of the IED since November 2018. Effectively immediately, Salgado has been promoted to Assistant Vice President Small Business and Community Engagement, and will report to McSherry in this new role. Salgado will provide leadership, oversight and coordination of small business and community development programs under the IED, aligning its outreach with UTSA’s strategic plan and mission.
With over 25 years of experience, Salgado is uniquely positioned to lead these efforts particularly with the expansion of the Downtown Campus. In his prior role, he promoted the State Department’s Small Business Network of the Americas, which replicated UTSA’s successful university-based SBDC model and created new opportunities for collaboration in other areas in over 20 countries.
“These strategic leadership changes will help the UTSA Institute for Economic Development grow its programs and its reach, replicating their successful models and building upon their 40 years of service to San Antonio and the South Texas community,” said Bernard Arulanandam, interim vice president for Research, Economic Development, and Knowledge Enterprise.
Established in 1979, UTSA’s Institute for Economic Development hosts nine centers and a variety of programs that facilitate economic, community, and business development at the local, regional, and national levels. Programs serve a range of entrepreneurs, from those who are just starting a business to experienced business owners looking for new markets to communities seeking to improve their economic health.
In a record-breaking year, the IED served 43,320 existing and aspiring entrepreneurs, generating a total of $2.9 billion in direct economic impact in 2018. Of those who received advising, training and business research assistance, over 1,000 businesses were started or experienced significant growth, resulting in the creation or retention of close to 20,000 jobs. Additionally, these businesses generated $291 million in new financing and $35 million in new tax revenue, with new sales, contracts and exports valued at $2.6 billion dollars.
