BEA Commissioner, Taylor Caswell

Mr. Taylor Caswell is the first commissioner of the New Hampshire Department of Business and Economic Affairs. First appointed to the position by Governor Chris Sununu in 2017, and reappointed in 2021, Commissioner Caswell serves as the chief economic and marketing official for the state and oversees the state Divisions of Economic Development and Travel & Tourism Development, enabling and growing economic vitality for residents and employers in the Granite State.

In this role, Commissioner Caswell has defined the narrative of New Hampshire as place where people want to live and work and where companies can grow and thrive in the state’s unique tax and opportunity climate. In collaboration with policy makers, stakeholders and business leaders, he leads a team of experts at BEA that has taken on a broad set of economic initiatives with state and federal resources in excess of $300 million.  These initiatives include workforce development, international trade and relations, business advocacy and technical assistance, direct tourism industry support, affordable housing, broadband deployment, domestic and international marketing, local planning and zoning supports, and outdoor recreation initiatives.

In 2020, Governor Sununu named Commissioner Caswell to lead New Hampshire’s economic relief recovery efforts in the face of the coronavirus pandemic.  In addition to maintaining BEA’s role in supporting and deploying relief programming for employers, Commissioner Caswell has also led the Governor’s Office for Emergency Relief and Recovery (GOFERR), with responsibility for transparent development, deployment and management of more than $3 billion in federal COVID relief and stimulus funds to New Hampshire. Caswell also co-chaired the state Economic Reopening Task Force, a bi-partisan public/private group which reviewed and recommended sector operations guidance during the early days of the pandemic.  

Caswell’s experience in the private sector includes structuring and funding renewable power and affordable housing development, financial services and government relations work for a Fortune 500 energy company.

Prior to joining BEA, he was the executive director of the New Hampshire Community Development Finance Authority and served as the New England regional administrator for the U.S. Housing and Urban Development, a White House-level appointment.

He lives in his hometown of Littleton, where he founded PRKR MTN trails, a community-based, 20-mile multi-use trail network on over 500 acres.  Commissioner Caswell remains an avid year-round outdoor enthusiast and is a regular alpine skier, mountain biker, and hiker.