Garin Giacomarro, at the recommendation of former Director Larry Holt, was tabbed to fill in the position in November. Holt left Grapevine for a position in Los Angeles.
During his tenure, Holt was part of several landmark projects that were completed or started, such as Paycom opening a regional center, Solo Brands relocating its headquarters, Meow Wolf Grapevine's planned arrival to Grapevine Mills, and Stand Rock water park and resort coming to northeast Grapevine.
Giacomarro has worked for the city for eight years, joining the economic development department six months after it was created. He was promoted to assistant director in 2021.
“When I was assistant director, my main goal everyday was to position the department as well as I possibly could to tackle problems and provide solutions,” he said. “As acting director, I do the same thing, just on a different scale and with a different perspective. I want to be a conduit between City Hall and anyone with a stake in Grapevine’s economic well-being. If I do get the opportunity to take over as director full-time, that will continue to be my goal going forward.”
Giacomarro grew up in Grapevine and learned to drive on William D. Tate Avenue—named after the mayor who is now his boss.
Working downtown has allowed Giacomarro to be a regular at Weinberger’s Deli, 601 S. Main St., Grapevine. He crafted his own ranking system for all of the sandwiches, many named after people, such as Mark, Ronnie, Wally, Teddy and Max. Soon, there will be Garin, one of 20 new sandwiches the deli is rolling out for the menu in 2023.
He earned degrees from Harding University in Searcy, Arkansas, and The University of North Texas. Giacomarro was working in the chamber of commerce in Nashville, Tennessee, when he saw the economic development position in Grapevine.
“The opportunity to return to Texas and work in my hometown was too strong to resist,” he said. “There is no hotter market in the country for what I do than Dallas-Fort Worth. These northern suburbs, in particular, are a unique opportunity.”
