Founded in 2007, Missouri Partnership is a public-private economic development organization focused on attracting new jobs and investment to the state and promoting Missouri’s business strengths, working in partnership with the Hawthorn Foundation, the Missouri Department of Economic Development, the State of Missouri, and economic development agencies across the state.
Led by an independent Board of Directors and working in collaboration with partners from across the state, Missouri Partnership’s expert team provides direct support to companies interested in investing in Missouri and works statewide to connect companies with the best locations and solutions for their business goals.
Missouri Partnership offers companies, at no cost to them, a broad suite of site-selection consultant services to put their business in the best possible position to pursue a successful expansion. These include vetting available sites, locating new or existing buildings, providing data and information on communities and workforces, providing insights on available incentives, coordinating customized labor solutions, identifying utility availability, and liaising between the company and state, regional and local governments, utilities, property owners, and more. Since 2007, the Missouri Partnership team has helped attract more than 22,000 new jobs, more than $1.1 billion in new annual payroll, and more than $2.7 billion in new capital investment.
One key member of the team is Deborah Price, the organization’s vice president of business recruitment and general counsel. She is a longtime public servant who has spent her legal career serving the people of Missouri. Deborah works with company executives and consultants who are looking at possible expansions to Missouri across several industry sectors, including agtech and health innovation. Each of these projects is usually a multi-million dollar business investment that creates new jobs for Missouri residents.
Before joining Missouri Partnership, Deborah served as the Director of Boards & Commissions in the Office of the Missouri Governor. In this role, Deborah developed and managed a process to recruit, vet, and appoint thousands of individuals, ensured compliance with hundreds of statutes, and handled the Senate confirmation process.
She also interviewed and recommended individuals to the Governor for county elected-office vacancies. Prior to that, Deborah served as an Assistant Attorney General for the State of Missouri where she was lead attorney on both civil and criminal consumer fraud litigation alleging violations of Missouri’s Unfair Merchandising Practices Law. Deborah’s efforts resulted in hundreds of thousands of dollars in restitution for victims as well as court orders enjoining fraudulent and unfair business practices.
Before working in the Consumer Protection Division, Deborah was assigned to the Child Support Unit where she represented the Missouri Department of Social Services on hundreds of court cases. Deborah also had the privilege of serving as an Adjunct Assistant Professor at Saint Louis University School of Law where she taught Civil Practice for three semesters.
In 2015, Deborah was appointed as a Regent on the Harris-Stowe State University Board of Regents and currently serves in that capacity. Deborah is also a member of the Jewish Community Relations Council and was recently honored by the organization as “Emerging Leader.” In 2015 Deborah was nominated and named as a Fellow as part of the Frank Family Institute’s Young Leadership Program. Deborah is a 2011 recipient of the Missouri Lawyers Media’s Women’s Justice Award in the category of Public Service Practitioner.
