Susan Davenport serves as President and CEO of Opportunity Austin, leading the region’s economic development efforts to drive innovation, attract global investment, and build the world’s leading ecosystem for business growth and talent. With more than 20 years of experience in economic development leadership across Texas, Davenport brings a proven track record of delivering high-impact results through regional collaboration and strategic execution. 

Prior to joining Opportunity Austin, Davenport served as president and CEO of the Greater Brazos Partnership, chief economic development officer of the Greater Houston Partnership, and spent more than a decade with the Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce. Throughout her career, she has led successful efforts to recruit transformative companies, strengthen workforce pipelines, and advance long-term strategies that support sustained economic growth and resilience.    

Davenport’s leadership spans critical and emerging industries including semiconductors, aerospace and defense, and life sciences. She is widely recognized for her ability to unite public- and private-sector leaders around shared objectives—aligning economic development, workforce, and innovation strategies to ensure the Austin region remains one of the fastest-growing and most competitive metros in the nation.