Gray Swoope

Gray SwoopeA recognized leader in economic development, Gray Swoope has served both the public and private sectors for more than three decades most recently as Florida’s Secretary of Commerce.  He has held leadership roles for a variety of organizations, as well as managed successful economic development entities.  His management style is described as focused and steadfast when it comes to solving problems and winning competitive projects. Gray is also known for building highly effective teams noted for their ability to devise and implement strategic plans, and to get results.  His expertise is international in scope, with a proven track record of successfully conducting business abroad.

Gray served in Governor Rick Scott’s administration (2011-2015) as Florida’s Secretary of Commerce and President & CEO of its principal economic development organization, Enterprise Florida, Inc. Under his leadership, Enterprise Florida completed a record fiscal year in 2013-14, and increased competitive projects by 40%, resulting in 73% more new jobs and 95% more capital investment in the state than in 2011.

During Gray’s tenure, Florida announced competitive project wins involving dozens of leading companies including Amazon, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Deutsche Bank, Embraer, GE, Hertz, Navy Federal Credit Union, Northrop Grumman, USAA, United Technology Corporation and Verizon.  Since 2011 and in only 3 years, more than 728,000 private-sector jobs were added in Florida, surpassing Governor Scott’s goal of creating 700,000 private-sector jobs over 7 years.

Prior to his tenure in Florida, Gray served as the Executive Director of the Mississippi Development Authority under then Governor and current VisionFirst Advisors chairman, Haley Barbour.

During his tenure at the Mississippi Development Authority, Gray persuaded companies such as Toyota, PACCAR, GE Aviation and Severstal to build facilities in the state, resulting in a refocus of the state’s efforts to aggressively support industry retention and expansion.  He also launched the Priority One Program targeting existing businesses, resulting in a measurable increase in jobs saved and/or created.

In addition, Gray worked with the legislature and the state’s private sector partner, Momentum Mississippi, to retool economic development incentives, thus laying the groundwork for significant new investment and expansion opportunities.  Throughout his service at the MDA, Gray created a team that is recognized by site selection consultants and businesses alike as one of the most responsive state economic development teams in the nation.

Gray earned both undergraduate and graduate degrees from Mississippi State University.

*Please note, when we interviewed Gray, he was in his final days at Enterprise Florida. Today, Gray serves as President & Chief Executive Officer of VisionFirst Advisors.

Mike Harvey

Mike HarveyMike Harvey joined the Northwest Arkansas Council in August 2011 as its Chief Operating Officer. Mike has 19 years of economic development experience at the local and regional level.

Throughout his career, Mike has successfully built one-stop operations that deliver site selection assistance, existing business services, entrepreneurial support and workforce development solutions to job seekers and employers alike. He has accomplished this with both individual and multiple organizations.

He is a graduate of the University of Southern Mississippi, earning a Bachelor’s degree in marketing in 1991, and a Master’s degree in economic development in 1995.

Mike worked at the local level in Alabama as President of the Marshall County Economic Development Council from 1995 to 2001. From there, he moved on to work for and then head up a regional economic development effort in Knoxville, TN from 2001 to 2007. He most recently served as President of the Thomas Jefferson Partnership for Economic Development in Charlottesville, VA from 2007 to August 2001, when he left to join the Council.

His interests include history, economics and meteorology. He also enjoys the ever-growing Northwest Arkansas outdoor, art and local food scene – where he spends most of his free time with the most important ‘person’ in his life – a scruffy 8-year-old terrier mix named Duffy.

Marty VanagsMarty Vanags assumed the position of Vice President for Regional Economic Development and Executive Director of the Indy Partnership, a business unit of the Indy Chamber, in February 2013. Marty leads a group of professional economic development staff whose mission is to market and promote the nine-county Indianapolis region as a place to invest and grow business. While in Indy, Marty has led a region that has consistently produced well over 10,000 jobs each year in the past two years with over $2 billion in capital investment.

Marty is a graduate of Illinois State University and Northern Illinois University (MPA) and has over 25 years of experience in community and economic development, private commercial real estate development and business management. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of the International Economic Development Council (IEDC). He has served as Chairman of the Illinois Development Council, Chair of International Economic Development Council Public Policy Advisory Committee and member of the same organization’s Economic Development Research Partners (EDRP). Marty has served two terms on the Illinois State University Alumni Board, and the Board of Advisors for the Means Center for Entrepreneurship at ISU’s College of Business. He also is a co-founder and creator of the Center for Emerging Entrepreneurs, a business incubation and development program at Illinois State University.

Marty co-founded the @Midwest Social Media Conference, and speaks and provides seminars on social media and its impact on economic development and non-profits. He has spoken at various venues and conferences on topics ranging from communication, leadership, change management, and data-use in economic development and community development. Under Marty’s leadership, the Bloomington Normal EDC and the Indy Partnership have received numerous accolades and awards for marketing, communication and economic development best practices.

Rusty Brockman

Rusty Brockman Rusty Brockman is the Director of Economic Development at The Greater New Braunfels Chamber of Commerce, where he has served for 14 years. Rusty retired from public education in 2001 after 28 years; 15 of those were with the Comal ISD as campus assistant principal, principal and central office administrator.  He spent the first 13 years of his career teaching life sciences, health, and physical education and coaching.

Rusty’s civic organization work includes Board member and Past President of the Wurstfest Association, New Braunfels Breakfast Lion’s Club President, Drive Chairman and Past President of United Way of Comal County, Advisory Board member of the Comal ISD Public School Foundation and Past President of the Canyon High School Athletic Booster’s.  Rusty was also named Citizen of the Year in 1993 by the New Braunfels Herald-Zeitung, 1992 Chair of the Board and 2011 Honors Hall Award recipient of the Greater New Braunfels Chamber of Commerce and received the Seven Seals Award from the Army National Guard in 2010.

In professional organizations, Rusty serves as Immediate Past President of the Executive Board of the Texas Economic Development Council, was appointed in 2011 by Governor Perry to the Guadalupe Blanco River Authority for a 6 year term, Chairman of the Austin/San Antonio Corridor Council Economic Development Committee, member of the Guadalupe Basin Coalition, Board member of the Central Texas Technology Center, Board member for the Alamo Area Academies Institute at Alamo Colleges and Board Secretary of The Center for Entrepreneurship in New Braunfels, Texas. Rusty is actively involved in continuing the development of higher education, workforce training and business development opportunities in New Braunfels and Comal County, Texas.

Rusty graduated from the University of Houston in 1974 with a BS in education, and in 1979 received his Masters in Education and Administrators Certification from Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, Texas.  Rusty married M’Liss Probst in 1975 and moved to New Braunfels in 1986. They are parents to five children and have 4 grandchildren.

Andrea Schruijer

Andrea Schruijer

Andrea Schruijer is the executive director for the Valdosta-Lowndes County Development Authority (VLCDA). Before joining the VLCDA, Andrea was senior vice president for the Albany-Dougherty County Economic Development Commission. Her primary responsibilities were business retention and expansion, operations and development of industrial parks.

She spent ten years with The Ritz- Carlton Company LLC, serving in different roles. She completed several different levels of training to include: The Ritz-Carlton Leadership Course, Stephen Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Mastering Sales and Presentations and customer service training. Andrea was part of the Malcolm Baldridge Quality Award Team and Sales Team of the Year, and she was nominated for Leader of the Year.

Andrea has been a member of Georgia Economic Developers Association (GEDA) since 2007. She served as GEDA’s chair for the Special Awards Committee in 2010 and 2011. Andrea was appointed to the 2014 GEDA Board of Directors to serve a second three year term. She is an alumnus of Leadership Georgia and Leadership Lowndes.

Andrea is a native of Cordele, Georgia and a graduate of Georgia Southern University.  She is married to Raymond. They are the proud parents of three children: Justin, Emma, and Willem.

 

 

Bob MarcusseBob Marcusse joined the Kansas City Area Development Council (KCADC) in 1991 as president and chief executive officer. During his tenure, KCADC along with its state and local partners, have attracted companies and helped expand and create companies that have created more than 40,000 direct new jobs and added more than $8.0 billion in capital investment to the 18-county, bi-state Kansas City region.

Bob has an extensive background in domestic and international corporate attraction, business growth and retention, and regional marketing. He has spear­headed major growth initiatives in the region such as the Kansas City Area Life Sciences Institute, KC Animal Health Corridor, KC SmartPort, and KCnext–The Technology Council of Greater Kansas City.

Bob’s community involvement extends well beyond his role at KCADC. Bob serves on the executive committees of KC SmartPort, KCnext, KC Animal Health Corridor and Central Exchange.  He is a member of the University of Kansas Edwards Campus Advisory Board, and University of Missouri Economic Development Cabinet and the board of the KU Endowment.  He is a past chair­man of the University of Kansas Medical Center Research Institute and is a member of the listing review committee for BATS, the country’s third largest stock exchange.  Bob is also a member of the national Alumni Board of Calvin College.

Bob has also held leadership positions with the Columbus (OH) Area Chamber of Commerce, the Economic Development Council for the Peoria area, Battle Creek (MI) Unlimited and the Inland Port Authority of South Central Michigan and Foreign Trade Zone #43.

Bob graduated from Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan with a Bachelor of Science degree.  He received his Master of Science from Purdue University.

Cecilia Harry

Cecilia Harry Cecilia Harry is a master level economic development professional. Cecilia is active in promoting Fremont, NE and the Greater Omaha Area as a quality community for business location and expansion and a terrific place to call home. Cecilia’s specialties include business attraction, business retention and expansion, program design and evaluation, workforce development, support for entrepreneurs and small businesses, and public and member relations.

Prior to joining Fremont, Cecilia was the founder of Harry Development Strategies, LLC where she coached and supported career development. Cecilia was also the economic development coordinator for the Leavenworth County Development Corporation. While there, Cecilia expanded BRE program outreach, doubled count of businesses that received technical assistance, secured $42K in training grants for five companies to facilitate the creation/retention of jobs, designed and implemented internet marketing strategies and increased credibility and accessibility of the agency through consistent and genuine community outreach, relationship and trust building with stakeholders.

Cecilia is a board member of the International Economic Development Council (IEDC) and is currently the vice chair of their External Relationship Committee. She led the efforts of the IEDC Young Professionals Task Force in 2014. She has been recognized by GISPlanning, Inc. and fDi Intelligence as a recipient of Economic Development Leadership Team Award for efforts related to nurturing young professionals in the economic development field. Her organization is successfully wrapping up a five-year private sector investment campaign that will increase her organizations programming budget by over 60%.

Cecilia received her Bachelor of Arts in psychology from the University of Notre Dame and her Master of Social Work in social and economic development from Washington University in St. Louis. She is also a proud graduate of Oklahoma University’s Economic Development Institute.

Greg Wathen

Greg WathenGreg Wathen serves as President and CEO of the Economic Development Coalition of Southwest Indiana. Since March of 2007 his leadership has helped garner over $2.8 billion in investment over 3,500 jobs and $73 million in state and federal grants for the region. In 2013, Wathen’s collaborative efforts saw Midwest Fertilizer Corporation, the largest investment for the state of Indiana choose Southwest Indiana for its first North American site.

Prior to his work at the Coalition, Wathen worked as the Executive Director for the Perry County Development Corporation, where he worked to secure nearly $500 million in new industrial development along with more than 2,000 new jobs. He also played a critical role in Perry County establishing its own railroad and river port on the Ohio River.

Prior to his stay in Perry County, Wathen was Public Affairs Manager for the Greater Louisville Economic Development Partnership; and, he also managed the Greater Louisville Media Information Center, an independent news service bureau which assisted international, national and regional media in dealing with stories about the Greater Louisville area.

Wathen is a sought-after speaker and has spoken to regional and national groups on issues such as reshoring investment; media relations and marketing; and, has conducted media relations’ seminars for such groups as the National Forum for Black Public Administrators. During 1999 and 2001, he was part of a five-member U.S. team who taught the first tertiary and advanced economic development courses in New Zealand.

A graduate of Indiana State University, Wathen is Accredited in Public Relations by the Public Relations Society of America, and held the position of president for the Bluegrass Chapter of the PRSA. He is a past president and served on the board of directors of the Indiana Economic Development Association, a statewide economic development organization with more than 300 members. He also served as one of the original 23-members of the Indiana Economic Development Corporation board of directors, created by the Indiana Legislature to carry out the economic functions of the State beginning in 2005.

Jeremy Vannatta

Jeremy Vannatta Jeremy Vannatta is the director of Business Recruitment & Marketing for Big Sky Economic Development in Billings, Montana. He is the first point-of-contact with prospective businesses and facilitates the recruitment process in collaboration with internal and external resources and organizations. He also manages the overall marketing direction and public relations for the organization.

Prior to joining Big Sky Economic Development, Jeremy served as a Senior Marketing Manager for Macerich. He also held the post of vice president of the Billings Area Chamber of Commerce, and was the head of marketing for Thrifty Car Rental locations in Montana, Wyoming and Idaho.

Jeremy has been actively engaged in many non-profits throughout his community including the Montana State University Billings Alumni Association, American Cancer Society, Habitat for Humanity and many others. Jeremy and his wife, Haley, are publishers of Yellowstone Valley Woman magazine. He was selected as a 40 Under 40 Business Leader in his community, and has been recognized by the IEDC for his organization’s business recruitment and marketing efforts.

Jeremy holds a Bachelor’s of Science degree in media communications with an emphasis in marketing from Montana State University Billings.

Beth Doughty

Beth DoughtyAfter beginning her career in advertising, Beth Doughty has spent the past 25 years in economic development helping to create more than 14,000 jobs and $1 billion of investment for the Roanoke region.

She has twice been executive director of the Roanoke Regional Partnership from 1991 to 1999 and since March 2008 to the present. She also serves as executive of the Roanoke Outside Foundation.

Beth also served as president of the Roanoke Regional Chamber of Commerce for 9 years. She has lectured on economic development at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, Virginia Tech, Roanoke College and was a visiting lecturer for the Mellon Foundation in the Czech Republic.

Beth is a graduate of the University of Virginia and a past president and a cardinal of the Virginia Economic Developers Association.