Member Biography
Aaron S. Demerson currently serves as the Executive Director of the Governor's Economic Development and Tourism Division. He has also served as the Director of Texas Business Development and as the Director of Administration when it was the Texas Economic Development agency. Prior to his re-employment with Economic Development & Tourism he served as the Manager of the state’s innovative prepaid tuition program (The Texas Tomorrow Fund) at the State Comptrollers Office. He has served in a number of areas within Economic Development & Tourism including the Small Business Division as a Small Business Consultant, and Manager of Credit Administration (Finance Division). He has also been employed as a Commercial Finance Analyst and Loan Administration Officer with Texas Bank in San Antonio. Demerson has a BBA in Finance from Texas A&M University-Kingsville (formally A&I), received a general banking diploma from the American Institute of Banking.
Business Information
The Office of the Governor, Economic Development and Tourism Division markets Texas globally as the premier business location and travel destination. They develop the strategies to generate leads and inquiries which over time can be developed into business recruitment prospects, export opportunities and tourism – thereby creating jobs and wealth for Texans. The Office consists of four programs: Texas Business Development, Texas Tourism, the Office of Aerospace and Aviation, and the Economic Development Bank. Texas Business Development continues to tell the world that Texas is truly “Wide Open for Business” by promoting our favorable business climate, reasonable regulatory environment, and skilled workforce. It includes the following areas: Domestic Expansion and Recruitment (DER), International Business and Recruitment (International), and Business Research (Research).
DER serves as the primary point of contact for companies looking to expand existing operations in Texas or relocate a business from out of state. International assists Texas companies seeking to expand into foreign markets and encourage foreign investment in Texas. Texas remains the nation’s “number one” exporting state with 2005 exports valued at $128.7 billion. Research provides support by collecting economic and demographic data, providing analyses, and gathering other information on industries and communities. The extensive databases and research tools provide accurate and timely information on doing business in Texas thus strengthening the state’s ability to recruit and attract business.
