Greg Byrnes, who has been the face of Peco Energy Co.'s economic and business development department for the last 14 years, will retire at the end of this year.

The loss of Byrnes doesn't mean Peco will seek to eliminate its economic development work, said Denis O'Brien, president of the energy company.

"We have a tremendous commitment to economic development," he said. "It's very clear that we are not successful as an energy business unless the region grows and prospers. If the area doesn't grow, our revenues don't grow."

Though O'Brien supports Peco's role in economic development, the departure of Byrnes, who O'Brien said leaves a "legacy," will give the company a chance to evaluate its efforts. That's especially true in light of Select Greater Philadelphia's role in marketing the region. "It's a chance to step back and see if we're doing the right things for economic development or what could be changed or if we need to adjust our focus," he said.

Byrnes, along with his department, was a lone voice in economic development for the region during much of his tenure. His department tabulated reams of regional demographic and cost data, which prospective companies relied upon when looking at Philadelphia and its environs as a relocation or expansion destination.

"When I came to Peco, the department was focused on retention -- keeping existing companies from leaving for lower-cost areas in the nation's Southeast and Southwest," Byrnes said. "We took our show on the road. We began promoting the region's assets at trade shows and professional conferences. We placed advertisements in targeted business and real estate publications. We contacted the trade media and pitched article ideas; we developed an award winning newsletter that we distribute to 3,000 real estate professionals and site location consultants."

Byrnes joined Peco in 1991 after serving as president of the Philadelphia Development Alliance, a consortium of 21 real estate development firms, brokerages and utilities. Prior to that, he was a reporter and editor at The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Byrnes hasn't decided what he is going to do next, though chances are he will land with a local company in the real estate business. "I'll follow Yogi Berra's advice: When you come to a fork in the road, take it."

--Natalie Kostelni