The 54-year-old Flavin has served as mayor and city councilman in Burbank, CA from 1989 to 1993. He also has been president of the Los Angeles County Small Business Development Center and executive vice president of the Los Angeles County Economic Development Center. He most recently had been senior director of Denver-based ICG Communications, a position he tendered prior to the firm's bankruptcy filing.

The unprecedented growth of the area is his foremost concern, Flavin told GlobeSt.com. The Census Bureau recently has released a report showing Colorado is the third fastest-growing state in the past decade, trailing Nevada and Arizona. And in Colorado, one of the fastest-growing areas is Douglas County, an area of major concern for the SBP, which works closely with developers and politicians.

"I think what we really need is a balance," Flavin says. "And that will mean increasingly looking at water and energy. Coming from California I have a lot of first-hand experience with those two issues." He is certain the Colorado legislature will adopt some type of growth bills this year, setting a course for the SBP to work with public and private entities about how best to follow new state procedures.

Flavin replaces the well-respected Peter Neukirch, who at age 72 wishes to semi-retire."I'm not leaving; I just won't be at the helm any more," Neukirch told GlobeSt.com. "I'll probably be a part-time consultant or something. We're still working out the details." Neukirch is credited with turning the SBP into a task-oriented group that focuses on growth issues, such as affordable housing for people who earn $10 to $20 per hour, traffic congestion and transportation, and education.

Before joining the SBP three years ago, Neukirch had spent a decade working for Myron "Micky" Miller, one of the metro area's leading commercial real estate developers. Miller formerly had been a real estate partner with billionaire Marvin Davis. During Neukirch's tenure, Miller, Davis and their other partners had owned and sold such high-profile trophy properties as the Pebble Beach golf course in California and the Aspen Skiing Co.

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Southeast Business Partnership Taps Ex-Burbank, CA Mayor as New Leader

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