Thomas & Hutton Adds Economic Development Director
The employee-owned professional services firm named Connor Christensen as its North Carolina Regional Director for Economic Development.
Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Jobs — General
Thomas & Hutton, a privately held, employee-owned professional services firm, added Connor Christensen as North Carolina Regional Director for Economic Development. Timothy Downs, an attorney licensed in North Carolina, also expanded his role to Regional Director & Corporate Counsel.
Why it matters
The move adds capacity to the firm's economic development work in North Carolina, where Christensen most recently served as Manager of Economic Development for the North Carolina Railroad Company. The team is positioned to support existing partners and build new relationships across the state.
The firm has 80 years of operation across the Southeast and is privately held and employee-owned. No headcount, revenue, or project-volume figures for the North Carolina economic development team were disclosed in the announcement.
The players
Thomas & Hutton
Thomas & Hutton is a privately held, employee-owned professional services firm with 80 years of operation across the Southeast.
Connor Christensen
Connor Christensen previously served as Manager of Economic Development for the North Carolina Railroad Company before joining the firm.
Timothy Downs
Timothy Downs is an attorney licensed to practice law in North Carolina who continues as Regional Director at the firm.
The details
Connor Christensen joins Thomas & Hutton as North Carolina Regional Director for Economic Development after serving with the North Carolina Railroad Company. Timothy Downs will continue as Regional Director while taking on expanded corporate counsel duties, including contract review, negotiation support, and advising leadership on legal and risk management matters.
Timeline
November 4, 2026: Thomas & Hutton announced the expanded North Carolina economic development team.
Market Landscape
Engineering and professional services firms increasingly place former public-sector economic development staff into client-facing roles to shape state and regional project pipelines. Christensen's move from a state rail-linked development post to a private firm follows that pattern of experienced development professionals entering private consulting.
For job seekers in North Carolina, the announcement signals continued hiring in private economic development consulting. Professionals with state or rail-sector development backgrounds may find more openings at firms expanding their regional teams.
The takeaway
Private firms are adding experienced public-sector development staff to strengthen their regional teams. Professionals tracking economic development careers in North Carolina should watch for similar leadership hires across the state's consulting sector.
Further reading
Explore more North Carolina job news for context on how state hiring shifts are reshaping professional services.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Mecklenburg Times.
