• Snowbird Mountain Tram Ride
• Utah Olympic Park Tour
and Bobsledding Experience
2 S 400 W, Salt Lake City, UT 84101
2 400 W, Salt Lake City, UT 84101
• Breakfast
• Roundtable Discussion
• One-on-Ones
Alma Mater: West Point (Army)
Interest(s): Cooking, college football
Region: Central Texas
Notable Employers:
• McLane Company (HQ (Food Distribution))
• Meta (Data Center)
• Wilsonart (Manufacturing)
Adrian has led the Temple EDC over the last four years as its President & CEO. In that time, Temple has supported a number of investments that total over $2 billion and the creation of over 1,500 jobs. Adrian was appointed by Governor Greg Abbott to the Texas Economic Incentives Oversight Board where he served from 2019-2022. He currently serves as Vice Chair of the Texas Economic Development Council and is a gubernatorial appointee to the Texas Economic Development Corporation board.
Alma Mater: Clemson University
Interest(s): Shooting skeet and trap, Yoga, Fly fishing, Mahjong
Region: Central South Carolina (Calhoun, Clarendon, Fairfield, Kershaw, Lexington, Newberry, Orangeburg and Richland Counties as well as the Capital City of Columbia).
Notable Employers:
• University of South Carolina (Education)
• Scout Motors (VW EV OEM) (Automotive Manufacturing)
• Blue Cross Blue Shield (Insurance) – Mark Anthony Brewing (White Claw).
Alma Mater: Virginia Commonwealth University Boston University
Interest(s): Running, reading, travel, national park enthusiast
Region: State of Virginia
Notable Employers:
• Amazon Web Services (Cloud & Data Centers)
• Northrop Grumman (Aerospace & Defense)
• Booz Allen Hamilton (Cybersecurity & Government Services)
• Carahsoft (Software & IT) • Leidos (National Security & Technology)
• Micron Technology (Semiconductors)
• Lego Group (Advanced Manufacturing)
• Eli Lilly and Company (Life Sciences)
• Rocket Lab (Space & Aerospace)
Audrey Polk is the Assistant Vice President of Knowledge Work at the Virginia Economic Development Partnership, where she leads lead generation strategy and execution across Virginia’s aerospace, defense, software, cybersecurity, business services, and financial services sectors. With nearly a decade of economic development experience spanning state, regional, and local organizations. Prior to Virginia, Audrey led business development in Washington, D.C., where she launched the District’s first international soft landing program to attract foreign direct investment. Her career has contributed to major project wins including LEGO, Plenty, Walgreens, and Intact Technology. In 2022, Audrey was recognized as a Top 50 Economic Developer in North America by Consultant Connect. She is a proud graduate of Virginia Commonwealth University, where she graduated summa cum laude from the Honors College, and is currently pursuing her MBA at Boston University. She lives in Richmond with her husband and cavapoo, Roo.
Alma Mater: East Carolina University
Interest(s): Avid road cyclist, amassing over 4,000 total miles in 2024
Region: Triangle Region
Notable Employers:
• Novo Nordisk
• Grifols Therapeutics
• Caterpillar
As Director of the Johnston County Economic Development, Chris Johnson coordinates with the Department of Commerce, Economic Development Partnership of NC, Site Consultants, and other public and private agencies on issues regarding economic development, community development, growth management legislation, and regional planning. During his 12-year tenure, Chris has directed over $10 Billion dollars of new and expanded industry investment and over 7,500 jobs in Johnston County. For over 10 years, Chris has served as Chair for the Research Triangle Regional Partnership (RTRP) Economic Development group. In 2015 Chris was recognized as a North Carolina Main Street Champion by the Department of Commerce. In 2021, 2022, 2024, and again in 2025 was recognized by Business North Carolina Magazine in their “Power List” of North Carolina’s Most Influential Leaders.
Alma Mater: MS Public Administration, The George Washington University / BS Family Public Policy & Business Management Minor, Brigham Young University
As Vice President of Business Development, Erin oversees all business recruitment projects and manages a team dedicated to catalyzing capital investment and creating quality jobs in Utah. She drives strategic initiatives, secures new business opportunities, and maintains strong client relationships. Erin has been instrumental in helping companies expand within or to Utah, adding more than 18,000 jobs to the economy. Prior to EDCUtah, she worked as a management consultant in Washington, D.C.
Alma Mater: The Ohio State University
Interest(s): Ohio State Football
Region: Ohio
Notable Employers:
•Anduril | Aerospace & Defense – 4,000+
•Intel | Technology & Semiconductors – 3,000+
•Honda/LG | Automotive – 15,000+
•First Solar | Advanced Manufacturing – 3,000+
• Sherwin Williams | Chemical Manufacturing and Distribution – 7,000+
Ian is a Columbus, Ohio based economic development professional at JobsOhio, where he manages RFI’s and supports site selectors by connecting them with the right economic development partners across Ohio at the state, regional, and local levels. His work focuses on helping companies across North America navigate site selection decisions by coordinating resources related to available sites, workforce, and financial incentive offers for companies. He collaborates closely with project management, finance, and sector teams to streamline NDA’s and RFI’s helping improve responsiveness and enhancing the customer service experience in real-time. Outside of work, Ian values family, enjoys college football, and loves landscapes in the yard.
Alma Mater: University of Utah
Region: Salt Lake City
Peter Makowski is the Deputy Director of the Business Development Division for Salt Lake City’s Department of Economic Development. While working in the outdoor recreation industry, he attended the University of Utah where he earned a Bachelors Degree in Urban Planning. Upon graduation, he worked as a Project Manager in the Business Development Division of Ogden City, Utah, specializing in marketing, real estate, business recruitment/retention/expansion efforts, community development finance, and small business assistance. He oversaw Ogden’s Small Business Loan Program, the City’s Business Information Center, and served as Executive Director of Wasatch Community Funding CDFI. In his time at Salt Lake City, Peter has managed corporate recruitment, retention, and development efforts resulting in over 10,000 jobs attracted, over 5 million square-feet of new commercial and industrial construction, and over $1B in new capital investment. Peter is a Salt Lake City native, an outdoors enthusiast, and moonlights as a musician.
Alma Mater: Grand Valley State University
Interest(s): Enjoying Pure Michigan: Hiking and biking its many trails. Sailing and kayaking on its many lakes and rivers.
Region: Lower Peninsula
Notable Employers:
• Pfizer (Pharmaceuticals)
• General Motors (Automotive) • Dow Chemical (Plastics, Chemicals, and Agricultural Products)
Ray joined Consumers Energy in 2017. He directs and implements the company’s business attraction strategy. Consumers Energy is Michigan’s largest energy provider, the fourth largest combination natural gas and electric utility in the United States, and the principal subsidiary of CMS Energy (NYSE: CMS). The company provides natural gas and/or electric service to 6.7 million of the state’s 10 million residents in all 68 Lower Peninsula counties.
Alma Mater: Brigham Young University
Interests: 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.
Alma Mater: University of West Florida
Interest(s): Alabama Crimson Tide Hiking Gambling — Roulette and Craps Love to cook
Region: Northwest Florida
Notable Employers:
• Gulf Cable (Food Manufacturing)
• AppRiver (Cyber)
• Pepsi Distributor (Warehouse/transportation)
Involved in Economic Development for 25 years, the job is my passion. I am the Executive Director for Santa Rosa County, FL Economic Development Office, we are managing over $60M in grants. I have 2 industrial parks wrapping up construction and 2 industrial parks starting construction by end of Summer 2024. We have four parks near Interstate 10 in the Florida Western Region with one additional industrial/aviation park located adjacent to NAS Whiting Field which has runway access.
Alma Mater: DePaul University and The University of Texas, Dallas
Interest(s): Collecting old maps, hiking, road trips, and reading
Focus Industries:
• General Site Selection
• GIS
• Footprint Optimization
• Economic Development Consulting
• Industrial Site Discovery
Agnes Cikowska-Teczar serves as a Director within Newmark’s Global Strategy group, a specialized practice in the firm’s Occupier Services division. She brings a decade of expertise in geographic information sciences, advanced spatial analytics, site selection, and economic development. Throughout her career, Agnes has partnered with global organizations to enhance value creation and mitigate risk in complex corporate location strategy decisions. Her core areas of specialization include global market identification and analysis, facility site selection, land readiness assessments, industrial site discovery, workforce and labor market analytics, real estate portfolio optimization, and strategic economic development advisory. She also provides deep insight into transportation and commuting optimization, and supporting growth strategies across the industrial, energy, and critical infrastructure sectors. Agnes is a recognized leader in cartographic design and map-driven storytelling, translating complex data into compelling visual narratives that inform high-stakes site selection decisions. She collaborates closely with C-suite executives worldwide, delivering strategic guidance that aligns location decisions with broader business objectives. Prior to joining Newmark, Agnes was a Senior GIS Analyst at Granite Construction, where she led diverse geospatial initiatives spanning energy, transportation, and human resources. She also contributed to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, developing analytical tools to help identify geographic patterns of potential fraud. Earlier in her career, she interned with a Vice President of the European Parliament, where she analyzed public perceptions of European Union and United States policies. In addition to her professional accomplishments, Agnes has held leadership roles on multiple boards, including map societies and cultural women’s organizations.
Alma Mater: University of Mississippi
Interest(s): Reading, collecting art, attending live theater
Focus Industries:
• Incentives
• Real estate
Betty brings more than 30 years of experience in assisting major U.S. and international clients in making strategic decisions related to expansion and relocation decisions. She has represented clients in automotive, industrial products, pharmaceuticals, steel and telecommunications to name a few. Betty has successfully secured over $4 billion in business incentives for all manner of real estate transactions, including manufacturing, corporate headquarters, distribution and warehousing, IT engineering and shared services. Prior she was a Partner with one of the Big Four accounting firms. She is nationally recognized as an expert on economic development issues and has been quoted in publications including The Wall Street Journal and CFO Magazine.
Alma Mater: University of Texas at Arlington
Interest(s): Avid cyclist, previous professional motorcycle road racer (still continues to test tires for one of the largest brands.)
Focus Industries:
• General Site Selection
• Logistics
• Life Sciences
• Healthcare
Garet Tomlinson is a Director at Mohr Partners, Inc., where he works alongside Managing Principal Stephen Hemphill in the Dallas, Texas office. An experienced business development leader, Garet rejoined Mohr Partners after leading strategic revenue initiatives for Hemphill’s team from 2019 to 2024. He will continue to focus on working with private equity executives and CEOs at growing healthcare, life science and industrial companies across the country to manage and achieve their strategic real estate objectives. Throughout his career, Garet has held a range of business development positions where he has leveraged his strong interpersonal skills with a broad technical background and is an effective presenter, especially when communicating complex technical subjects to large audiences.
Alma Mater: Ball State University & University of Oklahoma
Interest(s):
Travel, golf, boating
Focus Industries:
• General Site Selection
• Energy
• Real Estate
Jacob Everett, CEcD serves as part of DMA’s site selection and incentive advisory leadership team. He has over 15 years of experience creating successful outcomes at the intersection of the public and private sectors. Jacob and the DMA team advise businesses across North America to optimize location strategies, mitigate risks, and facilitate engagement with the public sector. He is a Certified Economic Developer accredited by the International Economic Development Council. Previously, Jacob served as the Founder & CEO of Corsa Strategies, which provided corporate advisory services as well as leadership in energy and economic development. Prior to working as an advisor, Jacob held various leadership roles with local and regional economic development organizations. In addition to being a Certified Economic Developer, he is a graduate of the University of Oklahoma’s Economic Development Institute, a graduate of Ball State University, and has completed coursework through the Council for Community and Economic Research Labor Market Information Institute. Jacob currently serves as a local elected official, sits on multiple economic development committees, and writes and speaks nationally on site selection, real estate, economic development, and energy.
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.
Alma Mater: B.S.B.A. University of South Carolina
Mac is a data scientist with Vista Site Selection, using his significant experience with data collection, analytics and visualization to create progressive solutions that help clients identify their ideal project location with accessible, digital site selection tools.
He specializes in creating visual software that covers every client need – whether niche or general – using his background in computer science to assist in the conceptualization, design and development of proprietary tools to meet client needs. As part of this process, Mac reviews and organizes enormous datasets to ensure their accuracy and value.
Mac carefully reviews and understands the client’s essential data points, and from those he has created scores of bespoke dashboards and other geo-visual aids to meet their needs.
Alma Mater: University of Maryland, College Park
Interest(s): Biking, football, soccer, the outdoors
Focus Industries:
• General Site Selection
• Tenant Portfolio services
Mark has 27 years of experience in the commercial real estate industry, gaining him significant expertise in transactions, acquisitions, dispositions, lease advisory, cost reduction, monetizing assets, portfolio planning, management and exit strategies. Mark helps clients solve a broad range of complex real estate challenges through his in-depth understanding of local, national market and financial analytics. Mark has advised a diverse client base, from Fortune 500 companies to local groups and develops custom solutions for each on a deal-by-deal basis. Throughout his career, Mark has saved his clients over $250 million.
Alma Mater: California Polytechnic State University – San Luis Obispo
Interest(s): Motorsports, snowboarding, traveling
Focus Industries:
• General Site Selection
• Knowledge work
• Defense,
• Advanced manufacturing for emerging technologies
Sean Ferguson is the Founder & CEO of Firetiger, an advisory firm headquartered in the San Francisco Bay Area that provides management consulting and economic development services. Firetiger helps clients scale organizations, relocate and expand operations, commercialize advanced technologies, and secure government contracts. Sean advises clients across industries including advanced manufacturing, AI, defense, electronics, semiconductors, and renewable technology.
Alma Mater: Florida State University
Tom Croteau has been the Senior Managing Director at Maxis Advisors since 2019. Before joining Maxis, Tom served as Deputy Commissioner of Global Commerce for the Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDECD). In his years as GDECD Deputy Commissioner, Tom led the team to 1,700 successfully located or expanded company projects, creating over $23 billion in investment and 127,000 new jobs for Georgia. Notable projects included the Mercedes-Benz USA headquarters relocation, a national Honeywell Innovation Center, Facebook data center, ASOS first-ever U.S. location, and SK Innovation’s multi-billion $$ U.S. EV battery manufacturing operation.
Tom holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from Florida State University and has extensive experience in economic development with MEAG Power and the Metro Atlanta Chamber. At Maxis, Tom is based in our Atlanta office and focuses on business development, site selection and incentive negotiation, specializing in the Southeastern U.S. region and serving clients nationwide.