Alex fairly resigned as chairman and member of the Amarillo Economic Development Council, withdrawing only three months after his appointment at The High Profile Post.
City manager Grayson Road confirmed the resignation by email, sent individually to each member of the Municipal Council and Mayor on Tuesday, July 15, in accordance with the Law on Open Meetings in Texas. As of Tuesday, no official resignation letter was just published.
He also informed the members of the advice on his decision near the end of the AEDC meeting on Tuesday. According to the board member, Randy Burket, he just said that he did not plan to stay in the long run and thinks it is the right time to withdraw.
“He told us he wasn’t glad to be on boards,” Berket said. “He had the feeling that he had done what he had set out, but the structure of the Law on Open Meetings in Texas could make him disappointing. You can talk to one person, but not a second – and I think it holds it.”
The members of the Amarillo Economic Development Council meet on Tuesday, July 15, 2025, in the southwestern Firstbank Tower in the center of Amarylo. During the meeting, the chairman of the board Alex fairly announced his resignation, saying that this would be his last meeting.
Berket, who was assigned to the board in April, said he was surprised by the message and expressed disappointment with the loss of a fair contribution.
“I was stunned,” he said. “I had no idea it was coming. I really thought it would stay until the end of our first year. It’s a big loss – I don’t know who could replace it. Alex is one of the smartest guys I’ve ever met.”
Berket added that while he believes the board will continue to function effectively, the departure of Fairly leaves a noticeable void.
“We will be well operative, but his perspective and experience will be missed,” he said. “I will probably still contact him with questions. He is a good friend and I respect the person very much.”
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It was originally appointed originally in November 2024 after a wave of mass resignations from the AEDC board, which left only one member on the spot. Amarillo’s businessman was later appointed chairman and re-appointed in April to the newly given five-member board.
Council member David Prescott, who has long questioned the appointment of Fairly, said the resignation was appropriate.
“I think this is the right thing for the city,” Prescott said. “Every time major political donors are appointed to power positions on the basis of the campaign contribution, this is problematic.”
It was fairly one of the most significant donors in the last municipal elections in Amarilo City, seriously contributing to the committees of political action supporting the current majority of the Council. It was reassigned in April after a $ 750,000 distribution dispute over a politically linked non -profit purpose.
In this photo of December 2024, Alex rightly appealed to the Council for the first time as chairman of the AEDC board at the meeting of the Amaril Municipal Council in the center of Amarylo.
“We went a lot to put him in this position and now he retires quickly,” Prescott said. “From discussions with AEDC staff, the flow of our deals is close to zero. We have a lot of work to restore trust with the business, given Amarillo.”
Prescott added that it was never officially applied to the board and criticized the selection process.
“These roles should not be provided on the basis of who supports political,” Preskot said. “Applicants must be checked and selected for their qualification, not for relationships.”
Prescott has expressed support for the continuing AEDC’s new president and CEO.
“We need an open, apolitical process to find someone who can grow AEDC and help stimulate the city’s economic future,” he said.
This January photo of the file, the chairman of the Board of the Corporation for Economic Development of Amarillo Alex, was justly discussing actions at a special AEDC meeting in the center of Amarylo.
He fairly refused to develop his decision, but told The Globe-News: “It was best for me to move on and quietly retreat.”
As of Tuesday, it was not announced in the time to appoint a new board member or election of a new chairman.
This is a developing history; More information and additional comments will be added when they become available.
This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Alex fairly resigned as chairman and member of the Amarillo EDC board