ӣ����Ƶ

ST. LOUIS — The former leader of ӣ����Ƶ’ top development agency has taken a job with a company that received nearly $200,000 in contracts from his former employer.

Chicago-based Baker Tilly has hired Neal Richardson to serve as a director of its development advisory arm, according to .

Richardson told the Post-Dispatch he plans to work remotely “for the time being” from ӣ����Ƶ but expects to be spending more time in Chicago and other cities.

He earlier alluded to his new position in a social media post Tuesday.

“From every neighborhood to every boardroom, I’ve had the honor of working alongside passionate people committed to making change real,” he said on . “As I move on to a new chapter, please know that my love for this city remains deep and unwavering.

“This isn’t the end, just a new beginning. Let’s keep building.”

Richardson served as president and CEO Of ӣ����Ƶ Development Corp. for four years under former Mayor Tishaura O. Jones where he oversaw millions of dollars of new investment in north ӣ����Ƶ and helped to address some of downtown’s biggest, longtime albatrosses.

But the troubled rollout of one of the North City programs led new Mayor Cara Spencer to replace Richardson this spring as the head of SLDC.

Baker Tilly, a national consultancy firm, secured several contracts from SLDC under Richardson’s watch, including $186,000 in contracts to help revise the city’s incentive program.