Cathy O'Connor

Cathy O’Connor founded the Coalign Group in 2022 to assist cities and regions across Oklahoma accelerate economic development. Coalign’s projects have helped create thousands of new, well-paying jobs, build up vibrant cities and  uplift the quality of life for residents in the communities she works in. Through Coalign, O’Connor empowers both municipalities and developers to make stronger, more strategic plans that elevate the surrounding region by optimizing available land, incentives and funding partners.

Before establishing the Coalign Group, O’Connor founded and served as president of the Alliance for Economic Development of Oklahoma City for over 10 years. She designed this non-profit corporation to coordinate public participation in economic development projects. In that role, O’Connor was instrumental in furthering development throughout Oklahoma City and promoting job creation. She led the team that worked to locate both the GE Global Energy Research Facility, and the Boeing Aircraft Modernization and Sustainment division in Oklahoma City. She also spearheadedthe efforts to create the NE Renaissance Urban Renewal Area and TIF district, the Core to Shore Tax Increment Finance District and to attract the Omni Convention Center Hotel to complement the new MAPS 3 Convention Center and Scissortail Park.

Throughout her career, O’Connor has championed affordable housing and that continues as part of Coalign’s work to coordinate partnerships between private developers and municipalities to develop desired housing projects.  In her past work, she proposed the creation of the Affordable Housing Fund and gained Oklahoma City City Council approval to include the fund in the successful 2017 GO Bond authorization. Her advocacy and zoning guidelines resulted in more affordable and workforce housing in the urban core. She committed Urban Renewal Authority resources to help develop Northeast Oklahoma City’s retail, health services, grocery and affordable and market rate housing including redevelopment of the Page Woodson School, the opening of a Homeland grocery store and a plan for NE 23rd and MLK.

O’Connor led the visioning and planning to create a 1.3 square mile Innovation District in Oklahoma City. She advocated to include northeast OKC residents and neighborhood representation in the studies, helped identify other development and resources needed and worked to align interests of the health care institutions, technology companies, higher education institutions, neighborhoods and other businesses to create an area where entrepreneurship and innovation can flourish. Her planning and advocacy efforts successfully earned the Innovation District’s inclusion in MAPS 4, with a public investment of $71 million.

Prior to becoming President of the Alliance, O’Connor served as an Assistant City Manager with Oklahoma City where she enjoyed an almost 30 year career. There, she worked to develop the incentives to bring Bass Pro Shops, QuadGraphics and Dell Computers to the Oklahoma City area. Additionally, she led the City’s team on the redevelopment terms for the historic Skirvin Hotel.