Chicago 2026

2026 Summit Series: Chicago

Agenda

Day One

3:00-5:45 P.M. | Afternoon Sessions

• Introductions

• One-on-Ones

6:00-8:00 P.M. | Dinner

Day Two

8:00-11:00 A.M. | Morning Sessions

• Breakfast

• Roundtable Discussion

• One-on-Ones

Economic Developers

Alex Cubley

Senior Economic Development Manager

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Alma Mater: University of Oklahoma

Interest(s): Travel and Movies!

Region: Greater OKC (10-county region rounding out central Oklahoma)

Notable Employers:

• Tinker Air Force Base
• Boeing
• Paycom
• Northrop Grumman
• Dell
• Pratt & Whitney
• Federal Aviation Administration
• Devon Energy
• Wheeler Bio

Alex Cubley serves as the Senior Economic Development Manager with the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber, where she works with companies and site selection consultants exploring expansion and relocation opportunities in the Greater Oklahoma City region. Her focus includes advanced manufacturing, life sciences, aerospace, and technology projects. Alex is a graduate of the University of Oklahoma and was recognized as a 2025 NextGen Under 30 recipient.

Ashley Lehman

Vice President of Business Development

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Alma Mater: Washburn University

Region: Topeka

Danielle Casey

President & CEO

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Alma Mater: Arizona State

Interest(s): Economic development geek, IEDC Board Chair, Home improvement, Weekend RV camping, Checking out the MANY events, shows and headliners in Vegas!

Notable Employers:

• HAAS Automation
• SWITCH data center
• Lithion Battery
• Zero Labs
• Coinbase
• TKO (UFC)

Danielle Casey is the President & CEO of the Las Vegas Global Economic Alliance, leading regional efforts to strengthen and diversify Southern Nevada’s economy. She brings more than two decades of experience in economic development, public administration, and organizational transformation. Previously, she served as President & CEO of the Albuquerque Regional Economic Alliance, where she delivered a comprehensive regional strategic plan and transitioned the organization into a mission-driven public-private partnership. Her leadership background also includes serving as Executive Vice President of the Greater Sacramento Economic Council and Economic Development Director for the City of Scottsdale, where her team supported projects generating billions in economic impact and thousands of new jobs. Danielle holds degrees from Arizona State University and Northern Arizona University and is both a Certified Economic Developer (CEcD) and Economic Development Finance Professional (EDFP). She serves as Chair of the IEDC Board of Directors and teaches at the OU Economic Development Institute.

Erica Sturwold

Senior Economic Development Project Manager

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Alma Mater: University of Iowa

Interest(s): Paddle boarding, hiking, snowboarding, indoor cycling.

Region: Greater Phoenix

Notable Employers:

• Intel (technology)
• Arizona State University (higher education)
• Mayo (healthcare)

Erica (Roelfs) Sturwold is a Senior Economic Development Project Manager at SRP. She joined the SRP Economic Development team in 2024 and transitioned from SRP’s Media Relations team where she held the position of Lead Media Relations Strategist. Prior to joining SRP in 2020, Erica began her career working in Chicago public relations firms as an account manager. She transitioned to Arizona leading new business development efforts for a Chicago-based PR firm before working in media relations at Phoenix Children’s Hospital. Erica has a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and Mass Communication from the University of Iowa and a Certificate of Entrepreneurial Management. Erica is involved in the Arizona Association of Economic Development (AAED) and has her Arizona Economic Developer Professional (“AZED Pro”) certification. She serves as the Chair of the organization’s Fall Forum Committee. She is also a member of AZ Commercial Real Estate Women (AZ CREW) and Industrial Asset Management Council (IAMC).

James Bateman

Economic Development Director

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Alma Mater: University of South Carolina

Jerry W. Jones, Jr.

Executive Director

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Alma Mater: Southern University and A&M College

Jerry W. Jones brings over a decade of experience in economic development and community engagement, having previously served as the Executive Director for the City of Richmond, Texas. There, he managed public-private partnerships and led initiatives to attract businesses and developers. In his new role, Jones will focus on growing Pflugerville’s economy through business attraction and expansion efforts, local retention programs, workforce education initiatives, and strategic marketing. Jones began his economic development career as a project manager at Central Louisiana Business Incubator, later becoming the Executive Director of the Baton Rouge North Economic Development District in Louisiana. In 2020, he joined the City of Richmond’s Development Corporation as the Economic Development Director. Jones earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Southern University and A&M College, completed the three-year Economic Development Institute program at Oklahoma University, obtained a True South Economic Development Certification from the University of Southern Mississippi, and holds an Authentic Leadership Certification from Harvard University.

Julia Boas

Director of Business Investment

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Alma Mater: University of South Carolina

Interest(s): Tennis, hiking, anything outdoorsy, Gamecock football, pickleball, epicurean endeavors

Region: Roanoke Region of Virginia (Includes Botetourt County, Alleghany/Covington, City of Salem, Roanoke County, Town of Vinton, Franklin County, and City of Roanoke)

Notable Employers:

• Google (Technology)
• Wells Fargo (Finance/Banking)
• Mack Trucks (Automotive)
• Ringana (FDI HQ, Life Science, R&D, Cosmeceuticals) • Wholesome Harvest (Food & Beverage)
• New Belgium Brewing (Food & Beverage)
• Altec Industries (Automotive) • Virginia Tech (Education, Biomedical Research, Medical School)
• Carilion Clinic (Healthcare, Biomedical Research, Medical School)
• STS Group (Automotive)
• Wholesome Harvest (Food & Beverage)
• New Belgium Brewing (Food & Beverage)
• Altec Industries (Automotive) • Carilion Clinic (Healthcare, Biomedical Research, Medical School)

Boas leads business investment efforts at the Roanoke Regional Partnership — a regional economic development organization representing eight local governments and 130+ private investors in the Roanoke Region of Virginia. With a strong foundation in content marketing, stakeholder engagement, and community development, she works across the full economic development lifecycle: sector development strategy, lead generation pipelines, incentive package structuring, and commercial and industrial site identification. A passionate communicator and thought leader, she speaks regularly on talent attraction, placemaking, and regional competitiveness to audiences ranging from site selectors, to employers and policy makers. Virginia Business Magazine named her one of 100 Virginians to Meet in 2020 and The Roanoker recognized her as a 40 Under 40 honoree. In 2026, she was named one of North America’s Top 50 Economic Developers by Consultant Connect.

Marcus Carano

Project Manager

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Alma Mater: College of Wooster, The Ohio State University

Region: 11 county Central Ohio region

Marcus Carano serves as a Project Manager at One Columbus, the Columbus Region’s economic development engine. Marcus supports projects across all industries spanning the 11-county Central Ohio region. Prior to joining One Columbus, Marcus led corporate partnerships at Smart Columbus — One Columbus’s peer organization focused on community development. He is a graduate of The College of Wooster and The Ohio State University.

Ron Maloney, MEDP

Executive Director of Economic Development

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Alma Mater: Brigham Young University

Interest(s): Outdoor survival excursions, HAM Radio, Fishing and Hunting

Region: Northwest Arkansas

Notable Employers:

• Walmart + Sam’s Club HQs (Retail)
• Tyson Foods HQ (Poultry Food Processing & Genetics Research)
• JB Hunt HQ (Transportation) • Simmons Foods HQ (Poultry Food Processing)

Ron’s current focus is on strategic game-changing transformational recruitment efforts, along with strategic planning, marketing and promotion, international, lead generation and project management. He has 24-years experience starting with the Pittsburgh Regional Alliance for a decade. Since then he has worked on the Gulf Coast of Florida and Mississippi before moving to Northwest Arkansas.

Tom Long

Vice President

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Alma Mater: University of North Carolina at Wilmington – Bachelor’s Degree in Geology University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill – Master’s Degree in Geography

Interest(s): Cooking (and eating). Walking and hiking. Exploring new cities / countries. Follow the San Antonio Spurs, Houston Astros and the New Orleans Saints. Carolina Tarheel Fan.

Region: City of Temple

Notable Employers:

• Meta | Datacenter
• Baylor Scott White | Healthcare
• Wilsonart | Manufacturer of Engineered Surfaces

Tom Long joined the Temple Economic Development Corporation (TEDC) in April 2023. He spearheads the recruitment and expansion of targeted companies and works to strengthen TEDC’s relationships with consultants, brokers, and allies to promote global business development opportunities for the region. Long specializes in manufacturing, distribution, and data centers.

Zyan Miller

Economic Development Relations Specialist

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Alma Mater: Indiana Wesleyan University

Interest(s): Learning new things, Agriculture/Farming, Reading, Baking

Notable Employers:

• General Motors (automotive) • Steel Dynamics (manufacturing)
• Proctor & Gamble (manufacturing)
• Eli Lilly (R&D; Manufacturing)

Zyan Miller is an Economic Development Relations Specialist with Wabash Valley Power Alliance, a generation and transmission cooperative. where she partners with electric cooperatives, local economic development organizations (LEDOs), and regional economic development organizations (REDOs) across the cooperative’s 21-member service territory to support business growth and community development. After beginning her career at a local electric distribution cooperative and later working for a local economic development organization, Zyan brings experience from both the utility and economic development sectors. She primarily serves Northwest and Northeast Indiana, helping connect communities with resources and opportunities that drive long-term economic growth.

Site Consultants

Alex Miller

Manager, Client Services

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Alma Mater: Indiana University

Interest(s): Sports, travel, and auto racing

Focus Industries:

• General Site Selection

• Incentives

Alex Miller is a Manager of Client Services at KSM Location Advisors, specializing in site selection and economic incentives negotiations that help companies achieve strategic growth and long-term success. A former Business Development Director with the Indiana Economic Development Corporation, he has led projects generating over $1 billion in investment. Alex brings deep expertise in tax incentives and grant programs and works with clients across industries including manufacturing, life sciences, technology, and supply chain.

Anna Hack

Senior Manager

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Focus Industries:

• General Site Selection

Brad Migdal

Executive Managing Director

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Alma Mater: University of Wisconsin

Interest(s): Golf and Travel

Focus Industries:

• Food & beverage processing
• Life science
• Pharma
• Biotech
• Manufacturing
• Renewable Energy
• Battery/EV

Brad focuses on strategic consulting, specializing in business incentives and industrial site selection. He has experience in corporate site selection, energy analysis, real estate due diligence, tax due diligence, prospective state tax benefits, with a focus on credits and incentives. Prior to joining Cushman & Wakefield, Brad worked at Transwestern and was also the managing director for global corporate services at Newmark. Brad is passionate about politics and social services. He supports Citizens United for Research in Epilepsy (CURE).

Brian Corde

Managing Partner

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Alma Mater: Rutgers University

Interest(s): Baseball/softball and cooking

Focus Industries:

• General Site Selection
• Food & Beverage Processing
• Workforce Development

Brian performs lead negotiations for some of Atlas Insight’s largest economic development projects. He has been working in the site selection and incentive negotiation business for 21 years and is widely considered an industry expert. Before co-founding Atlas Insight, he was a Regional Practice Leader for BDO Seidman. Prior to BDO, he was a former partner in the site location division and discretionary incentive division of Mintax (acquired by ADP in 2006). Brian was invited by the Governor of Louisiana to Washington DC after Hurricane Katrina to help develop a plan of action in rebuilding the areas of the state that were damaged. He has been a frequent guest of state governments (Georgia, Oregon, Washington and others) to assist with business attraction strategies

Brooklin Salemi

Senior Manager

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Alma Mater: Western Illinois University

Interest(s): Traveling, cycling, and Netflix documentaries

Focus Industries:

• General Site Selection
• Incentives
• Life Sciences
• Professional Services
• Industrial/Manufacturing

Brooklin joined Newmark in 2022 as a Senior Managing Director with the firm’s Economic Incentive Advisory Team, a practice within the firm’s Global Corporate Services (GCS). She assists clients in making optimal real estate decisions related to their new location, expansion, and/or consolidation initiatives by providing financial modeling, feasibility analyses, location advisory and incentive negotiation services. Brooklin has over seven years of experience providing location advisory and incentive services to major U.S. and international clients in the life science, finance, manufacturing/distribution, telecommunications, and IT industries. Collectively, she has provided support on projects resulting in over $900 million in investments, 5,500 jobs, and $260 million in total benefits secured for her clients.

Chris Schastok

Executive Vice President

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Alma Mater: Trinity College – Hartford, CT

Interest(s): Hunting, travel, wine, and running

Focus Industries:

• General Site Selection
• Industrial

Chris is one of the national leaders of CBRE’s Location Strategy and Incentives practice and has negotiated more than $1.8 billion in incentives. He has vast experience representing clients on corporate headquarters, back-office strategy, food production/processing, manufacturing and distribution center projects. Prior to joining CBRE, Chris was a part of Jones Lang LaSalle’s Business and Economic Incentives Group, previously at SmithBucklin and also as a Congressional Intern. Chris is a dual citizen and has contributed to several business publications as well as a frequent public speaker on site selection trends.

Clare Walter

Senior Manager

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Alma Mater: University of Iowa DePaul University

Focus Industries:

• General Site Selection

Clare is a State and Local Tax Manager at Grant Thornton LLP. Prior to Grant Thornton, LLP, Clare was a law clerk for the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission in Chicago. She worked on a team that managed the State’s $11.3 million Rate Adjustment Fund, which provided cost of living adjustments for 1,358 recipients who are either permanently and totally disabled or survivors of fatally injured workers.

Jeff Pappas

Senior Managing Director

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Alma Mater: Hardin-Simmons University

Interest(s): Enjoys soccer and football, while currently being in a complicated love/hate relationship with both Glasgow Celtic and the Dallas Cowboys. Touring football grounds around the world. Traveling with my wife Maribeth in our Airstream named Depeche Rode. Having an emotional staring contest with a painting, and being a food enthusiast.

Focus Industries:

• Contact Centers
• Distribution & Logistics
• Headquarters
• Life Science

Jeff represents corporate clients on a global basis, managing their international real estate strategy through location advisory with a focus on labor market and real estate analytics. He has been honored to have published articles on site selection issues and methods, labor market analysis, and economic development, including topics of labor market evaluation, labor force trends, and emerging international Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) markets. Nearshore Americas has named Jeff to its prestigious Top 50 Latin America Power Ranking list multiple years, which reflects the very best in Americas-focused outsourcing services leadership. D CEO Magazine honored Jeff as a Power Broker of the Year, and the Dallas Business Journal recognized Jeff as a Top Broker in DFW. Lastly, Jeff is fluent in sarcasm, dad jokes, useless trivia, and movie quotes.

Kathy Mussio

Managing Partner

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Alma Mater: Master of Science in Real Estate, New York University Bachelor of Fine Arts, New York University

Interest(s): Equestrian

Focus Industries:

• General Site Selection
• Manufacturing

Kathy Mussio is a co-founder and Managing Partner of Atlas Insight. With over 25 years’ experience as a site selection consultant, who is widely considered to be one of the leading industry experts in the site selection and incentive negotiation business. Kathy provides location strategy for both industrial and commercial clients, with a strong focus on Atlas’ manufacturing clients. Kathy has conducted successful negotiations for some of the world’s largest corporations. For client’s site selection needs, Kathy works with companies to provide data, analysis and the guidance to help the decision of where to locate, expand, or consolidate. She brings her years of incentive negotiation and management experience to ensure that incentive packages negotiated for Atlas’ clients can ultimately achieve maximum value. While many of Atlas’ clients are large corporations in the Fortune 500®, Kathy also has worked with small to mid-sized companies, and with projects of all sizes. In her early career, Kathy focused on real estate development and the associated zoning and land use entitlements that can be part of large real estate deals. Kathy is a reliable opinion source and author for trade publications, AP stories, and by the Wall Street Journal. She is frequently asked to speak on site selection topics at industry conferences and has worked with state and regional governments in the development of strategic plans to attract business investment.

Kyle Syers

Senior Manager

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Alma Mater: Indiana University (MPA) and Missouri State University (BS)

Interest(s): Travel & Food

Focus Industries:

• General Site Selection
• Incentives
• Industrial
• Office
• Life Sciences

Kyle Syers is a Senior Manager with Biggins Lacy Shapiro & Company, a boutique site selection and public incentives advisory firm. Kyle has been based out of the firm’s Chicago office since 2015, advising companies and adding strategic value in their corporate location decisions. Kyle works in the firm’s site selection and incentive advisory practices, leading projects from initial conception and site selection through incentives’ transactions and compliance reporting. His site selection engagements include headquarters, office, R&D, and industrial projects for the firm’s portfolio of Fortune 500 and mid-market clients. Most recently, Kyle has served as location and incentives advisor to a multitude of biopharmaceutical and life sciences companies including support of the global portfolio of manufacturing and R&D facilities for Eli Lilly and Company which have resulted in over $20.6 billion in new capital investments and 4,000 new jobs announced since 2020. His other announced life sciences clients include Johnson & Johnson, Bristol Myers-Squibb, Biogen, LabCorp, Schott Pharma, Gusmer Enterprises, Sana Biotechnology, Cellectis, and Blue Rock Therapeutics.

Mike Eickhoff

Managing Director, Property Tax & Incentives

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Alma Mater: Bradley University, DePaul University

Interest(s): Fishing, camping, outdoor activities, watching live sports, cooking (smoking meat)

Michael has two decades of experience assisting clients in identifying, negotiating and implementing business incentives. He has held senior positions in government, industry, public accounting and financial advisory firms. Michael has worked with midsized and Fortune 500 companies in manufacturing, financial services, renewable fuels, consumer products and technology sectors. He has assisted his clients in gaining more than $300 million of tax and non-tax incentives over the course of his career.

Minah Hall

Principal

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Alma Mater: University of Illinois Urbana Champaign, Loyola University School of Law

Interest(s): Running, snow skiing
Focus Industries:
• General Site Selection
• Facility Identification
• Incentives

Minah has 20 years of site selection experience with distribution and manufacturing facilities, data centers, back office/call center operations, retailers and corporate headquarter relocations. Prior to starting Compass Key Site Solutions, Minah was Managing Director at a boutique tax consulting firm, True Partners Consulting, as well as a manager at two Big Four public accounting firms in Chicago. Minah participates in state-sponsored focus groups aiding the development of the jurisdictions’ incentives programs and is a frequent speaker at numerous site selection related conferences.

Scott Kupperman

Founder

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Alma Mater: Tulane University University of Miami (FL)

Interest(s): Soccer, travel, fitness and college football
Focus Industries:
• Food & beverage processing

Scott formed Kupperman Location Services (KLS), a corporate consulting entity providing site selection and associated facility-acquisition services across the U.S., in 2011. KLS focuses on providing services designed to maximize the long-term value of a well-informed facility location decision. He has a history of serving clients with a variety of product types with specific manufacturing and distribution needs, including many in the food industry.

Spencer Donahue

Senior Consultant

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Alma Mater: Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut
Focus Industries:
• General Site Selection

Spencer Donahue, Senior Consultant in the Advisory & Transaction Services Practice, is responsible for translating clients’ business objectives into smart, executable real estate strategies. He is a member of the Location Incentives group and assists clients with site selection, economic incentives negotiations, and incentives monitoring.

Steve Paramski

Executive Managing Director, Global Partnerships

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Alma Mater: Northwestern University

Interest(s): Cycling, swimming, music
Focus Industries:
• General Site Selection

Steve has more than 10 years’ experience in commercial real estate with expertise in capital markets, mergers and acquisitions, private equity, site selection, capital sourcing and deployment, build-to-suit, risk mitigation and minimizing square footage. He oversees Vestian’s national accounts, exclusively representing national and international companies from Fortune 500 to middle market with complex headquarter transactions as well as needs related to new locations, expansions, lease renewals and purchase and sales transactions. Previously, Steve was a managing director with Mohr Partners, providing clients with quantitative tools, cash flow analysis and other financial modeling. Prior, Steve was at Merrill Lynch & Company, working with the firm’s Private Banking and Investment Group.

Tim Feemster

CEO & Managing Principal

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Alma Mater: DePauw University BA Math; U of Michigan MBA Marketing/Operations Research

Interest(s): Golf, travel, and BBQing
Focus Industries:
• Manufacturing
• Industrial

Tim, CEO and Managing Principal of Foremost Quality Logistics, has over 40 years of experience in site selection, economic development target industry/ SWOT consulting and DC network optimization. He has been a manager in three manufacturing companies, a consultant, an executive in two 3PLs and a Practice Group Leader for two Real Estate firms. He is a frequent presenter, is quoted regularly in both the supply chain/real estate press and recognized by D CEO magazine as one of the top 500 CEOs in DFW in 2019 and 2020 and by Marquis Who’s Who Top Professional 2021.