In the January 10, 2012 edition of the Chico Enterprise-Record Laura Urseny wrote an article regarding Bob Linscheid leaving his position as President/CEO of CEPCO.
Longtime Chico economic development advocate and business consultant Bob Linscheid has announced he will resign from being president and chief executive officer of one of Chico’s largest economic development organizations.
Linscheid, who owns Linscheid and Associates, said he will step down as president and chief executive officer from Chico Economic Planning Corp. at the end of June.
Head of the private economic group since 1993, Linscheid said there is not another job offer currently, and there are no health issues.
“There’s nothing on my plate, no offers,” said Linscheid on Monday. “Nineteen years seems like a long time. I’ve done a lot of other things.”
Linscheid said nothing in particular made him choose to withdraw at this time, other than the timing was good, with the possible unification of CEPCO and the Chico Chamber of Commerce, and his desire to do “something different.”
He said he will not be involved with CEPCO or the chamber. “I’m looking to broaden perspectives, maybe something regional. I’m exploring other things.”
“In 33 years, I’ve never been without a job. I’m convinced by setting the date at the end of the fiscal year, I think there will be several things coming my way.”
While he said he wasn’t unhappy doing what he was doing, “I would welcome doing something different.”
He said he wasn’t planning to leave Chico though, and wanted to give his board plenty of time to find a replacement or rethink the structure.
In July, he will become chair of the California State University system board of trustees. He is the vice chair now, and has served on the board since 2005. All those positions are unpaid.
In a letter to board members, CEPCO Chair Steve Gonsalves said he was sad to see Linscheid leave, that he’s been a “champion for economic development and the creation of base level jobs, and his insight and experience will be greatly missed.”
Gonsalves said he, Linscheid and the board will be “working to ensure CEPCO’s transition to new leadership is as seamless as possible.”
Gonsalves told the Enterprise-Record on Monday, “CEPCO is not going away. When you lose someone with the institution memory and capabilities of Bob, it’s a big blow, but this is a resilient organization.
“Regardless of the direction with the possible reunification with the chamber or something different, CEPCO will continue to be a force for job creation in the community,” Gonsalves said.
CEPCO will continue its discussion with the chamber about reunification, but there is “strong interest to examine other options for CEPCO’s future operational structure as well,” Gonsalves said.
Options will be discussed during the next CEPCO board meeting. CEPCO has 87 members, mostly business owners and operators.
After graduating from Chico State and leaving the area, Linscheid returned in 1986, and has worn myriad hats, including executive director of Butte County Economic Development Corp. and executive director of the Chico Chamber of Commerce, besides CEPCO. He has been involved in Civic Pioneers Institute and several other leadership programs, plus GROW-California, which is working on innovative job growth.
He was heavily involved in the unsuccessful campaign to convince Google to choose Chico for an innovative high-speed Internet site.
He has served on the California State University Alumni Council, representing Chico State.
In addition to his economic development involvement, Linscheid was vice president and general manager of the Chico Heat baseball team and was president of Western Baseball League, as well as president and board chair of the later Chico Outlaws in the Golden Baseball League.
Staff writer Laura Urseny can be reached at 896-7756 or lurseny@chicoer.com.
To view article on the Enterprise Record website click here.
