By John Byczkowski
The Cincinnati Enquirer

A second resignation in less than a month has left a hole in the leadership of Greater Cincinnati's effort to boost high-tech employment.

John Fonner, after six years with the Greater Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce and the last two years as director of technology adoption at its CincyTech USA arm, announced his resignation Tuesday. A civil engineer by training, Fonner leaves to become executive director of the Butler County Transportation Improvement District, a job that pays $92,000 annually. He starts work there May 10, replacing Rick Bailey, who retired.

Fonner's resignation comes just three weeks after CincyTech USA's executive director, Johnathan Holifield, resigned amid signs the Chamber was seeking a new direction for its high-tech economic development effort.

Fonner says the timing is coincidental, and that he was interviewing in Butler County before Holifield resigned. The new job "is a good fit for where my interests are and where my expertise is," he said. "I don't think CincyTech is going away."

Holifield's replacement hasn't been named. Chamber president Michael Fisher said Wednesday he expects to pick an interim leader within a week.

"We are very committed to technology-based economic development," he said. He's been consulting with CincyTech's chairman, Jim Anderson of Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, and others about restructuring the organization.

E-mail johnb@enquirer.com