On Thursday, the Amarillo City Council unanimously appointed businessman Brian Bruckner to the Amarillo Economic Development Corporation (AEDC) Board of Directors. The appointment fills the final vacancy on the board and signals a renewed effort to stabilize the organization amid a critical period of transition.
Bruckner, president of Bruckner’s Truck Sales and a former AEDC board member, replaces Alex Fairly, who resigned as board chair on July 15. The council’s 5-0 vote came after a special meeting where multiple nominations were considered, including Will Miller, an executive at FirstBank Southwest, who was nominated by Councilmember Tim Reid but ultimately did not secure enough support.
“Having someone like Brian Bruckner, who has a lot of experience and has served on the board for six years, been involved in two searches, provides a lot of experience and, most of all, stability,” said Councilmember Les Simpson. “The most important thing this new board will do, that will impact for years to come, is selecting a new executive director.”
Bruckner’s family business, based in Amarillo, is the largest Mack truck dealership in the country and operates across nine states. His previous involvement with the AEDC, combined with his business background, positioned him as a steady hand to guide the board during this pivotal moment.
The appointment marks a shift in the board’s leadership selection process. Going forward, the AEDC board itself will choose its chairperson, a change from the city council’s prior practice of naming board leaders.
A Difficult Year for AEDC
The last year has been turbulent for the AEDC. In late 2024, four out of five board members resigned abruptly, prompting a council-led restructuring. Alex Fairly was appointed to fill one of the vacancies, a move criticized due to his status as the largest campaign donor to Mayor Cole Stanley, who nominated him at the time. Fairly served briefly as chairman before stepping down.
Councilmember David Prescott, who initially supported Miller’s nomination, explained his change of heart. “I wholeheartedly believe that Will Miller would make an excellent member of the AEDC,” Prescott said. “But based on what is needed right now—someone who can immediately help guide the search for a new executive director—I felt Brian Bruckner was the best choice at this moment.”
Councilmember Simpson acknowledged the awkwardness in the nomination process, where no councilmember wants to vote against a qualified candidate. “It’s kind of awkward when we do nominations like this,” he said. “It’s not anything against the other candidates—they were all qualified—it’s just that [Bruckner] was the right person at the right time.”
Looking Forward: Leadership and Stability
The new board will convene Monday, August 12, to officially seat Bruckner, select a chairperson, and discuss the executive director search process, expected to involve an external recruitment firm.
Simpson stressed the importance of stability for economic progress. “When you have instability, it creates chaos. And chaos and instability are the enemy of investment,” he said. “I hope that we’re past that.”
Prescott emphasized the urgency of filling the executive director role. “We’re already in the middle of August. The next 120 days are critical. Bruckner has been through the search process before. That experience is going to help us move quickly and make a strong hire.”
Beyond bringing new industry to Amarillo, Simpson highlighted the broader challenge of making the city a place where people want to live and work. “There’s a lot of opportunity here. We’ve shown we can attract industry. Now we need to make sure Amarillo is a place people want to live, work and stay—and that takes more than just jobs. That’s the next challenge.”
