Thanks to Julio Reyes for pointing out the Erie Times-News story on the departure of Monica Brower.

Brower, as many of you might know, has been working for the Economic Development Corp. of Erie County for the past 10 years — most recently as its chief executive officer. She is leaving the organization to take a job for Alcoa in Pittsburgh, according to the Erie Times-News report.

She has been one of Erie’s most knowledgeable figures when it comes to the redevelopment of vacant industrial properties and has overseen the management of Knowledge Park — the business park adjacent to Penn State Behrend.

The EDC did run into some stumbling blocks in recent years — particularly with the ill-fated juice plant.

But the organization was also a key player in the redevelopment of the former International Paper Co. site, which would have to be considered one of Brower’s major accomplishments during her time in Erie.

More recently, the organization helped fill the former Affinia plant on Wayne Street with NBS Trucking. It is also responsible for the Joyce Savocchio Business Park on Erie’s east side.

Redevelopment projects are usually risky, but the EDC’s success rate during Brower’s tenure was quite strong. The organization has been largely responsible for some of the region’s biggest economic-development success stories in recent years.

Clearly, the EDC faces a challenge in finding a replacement with Brower’s knowledge of Erie and of economic development.