The McKinney Economic Development Corporation Board of Directors announced Thursday the hiring of a new president and CEO. Peter Tokar III, who will begin July 30, previously served as the EDC director at the city of Alpharetta in Georgia since 2012. Tokar also served as Managing Director of the Alpharetta Development Authority, according to a news release from the city of McKinney. "It is an honor to be chosen as the President of the [MEDC]," Tokar said in the release. "It’s rare you find a city that is positioned as well as McKinney for growth and development. The combination of strong foresight by the MEDC board of directors and city leadership has created an incredible opportunity for both existing and future residents and businesses." While serving in Georga, Tokar helped recruit $1 billion mixed-use development and a technical college system to the city. He also recruited the global information technology center for Ernst & Young, Halyard Health, BitPay, Verint Systems and the HVAC division for LG to Alpharetta, according to the release. “We believe McKinney is in the right place at the right time. With [Tokar's] leadership, we are well-positioned to win meaningful projects to better our community,” MEDC Chairman Jason Burress said in the release. Tokar replaces former MEDC President Darrell Auterson. Auterson served as presidet from July 2016-January 2017. The MEDC was created in 1993 to support the development, expansion and relocation of new and existing companies, according to the release.