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An Inside Look: Feat. Timo Rehbock of Barnes & Thornburg

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Timo Rehbock is a partner in the Chicago office of Barnes & Thornburg and a member of the firm’s Corporate Department. He is chair of the firm’s European Practice Group and a member of the New York Law Practice Group. He focuses his practice on domestic and international corporate and commercial matters, which range from general commercial contracts to private equity and venture capital investments, mergers, acquisitions, restructurings, financings and strategic alliances.

Timo has a strong domestic and an established international corporate and commercial practice. He has more than 10 years of experience in representing clients on complex inbound and outbound matters. He is fluent in four languages and advises clients on acquisition structures for cross-border transactions and investments between the U.S., Europe, Latin America and Asia and has led both buy-side and sell-side teams on these diverse transactions.

Timo represents a variety of clients in the automotive, food processing, renewable energy, logistics, manufacturing and technology industries. His clients encompass start-up businesses as well as private middle market and public companies. He also serves as the primary outside general counsel for several domestic and multi-national clients and strives to provide cost-effective, tailored legal solutions.

An active member of the community, Timo commits his time to several legal and nonprofit organizations. He serves on the board of directors for the International Institute of Legal Writing and Reasoning in New York and is an adjunct professor at the DePaul College of Law in Chicago. In addition, Timo is on the board of trustees for the Union League Club of Chicago Boys & Girls Clubs and a member of the Auxiliary Board and the Chairman’s Advisory Council for the Big Shoulders Fund in Chicago. He currently sits on the Leadership Advisory Council for Cristo Rey Jesuit High School and is a past board member for the Chicago Human Rhythm Project.

Timo received his LL.M. from the University of Cologne, Germany; a Maîtrise en Droit from the University of Paris I, Panthéon-Sorbonne, France; and earned his J.D. and LL.M. from Cornell Law School.

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From The Ground Up: Feat. Courtney Ross of the Nashville Chamber of Commerce

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Courtney RossCourtney Ross is the Chief Economic Development Officer for the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce. Courtney is ascending to that role at a time when Nashville’s economy is creating jobs at an almost unrivaled pace, helping elevate Nashville’s national profile to record heights.

Prior to being promoted to Chief Economic Development Officer, Courtney worked as the Vice President of Existing Business, which means she was in charge of helping grow businesses already located in the Nashville market. Courtney also was an associate at an economic development marketing firm and a director of corporate recruitment for the Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce – a city many Nashville leaders use as a yardstick to gauge their growth.

Courtney enjoys many different things outside of her work including spending time with her husband and two children and traveling.

Courtney graduated from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism.

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An Inside Look: Feat. Tim Schram of Grant Thornton LLP

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Tim SchramTim Schram is a managing director and one of the leaders of Grant Thornton’s Credit and Incentive practice. Tim has over twenty years of experience negotiating for state and local incentive packages on behalf of clients. Tim has successfully assisted clients by securing millions of dollars in incentives through programs such as: sales tax sharing agreements, cash grants, property tax abatements, utility rate reductions and refundable income tax credits.  Tim has worked with clients representing a number of industry sectors and is one of Grant Thornton’s national leaders for the Food & Beverage industry group.

Prior to joining Grant Thornton, Tim was a supervisor in KPMG’s state and local tax practice focusing on credits and incentives.  Tim also has industry experience as a state tax manager for a high tech company in the Chicago-land area.

Tim is a member of IAMC, the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the Illinois Society of Certified Public Accountants and the Institute of Professionals in Taxation. Tim is a recognized leader in the area of state and local incentives. As such, he is a regular speaker and contributor to articles for organizations such as TEI, ITP, Chicago Tax Club and CCH.  Tim is also an Editorial Advisory Board Member representing credits and incentives for the Journal of State Taxation.

Tim earned his Bachelor of Science in finance from Indiana University.

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An Inside Look: Feat. Jeff Stark of Rödl & Partner

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Jeff StarkJeff Stark joined Rödl & Partner in 2012 and is now in charge of their Chicago office’s Tax Department. Rödl & Partner is a leading global professional service firm, providing integrated audit, tax compliance and business consulting services for foreign-owned businesses in the United States.  Rödl & Partner has 7 offices in the United States and operates in 46 countries worldwide.

Jeff began his professional career at Arthur Andersen and worked at two other national CPA firms before joining Rödl & Partner. Jeff has many years of experience providing tax consulting and compliance services to both businesses and individuals. Jeff has extensive experience working with foreign corporations, closely held businesses and individuals.

Jeff is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) and both the Illinois and Wisconsin state CPA associations. During college, Jeff was involved with the Notre Dame Marching Band, student government and AIESEC.

Jeff received his Bachelors of Business Administration in accounting from the University of Notre Dame and his Master of Business Administration in taxation from the University of Notre Dame – Mendoza College of Business.

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From The Ground Up: Feat. Laura Brandt of the Metro Denver Economic Development Corporation

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Laura BrandtLaura Brandt is the Director of Economic Development for the Metro Denver Economic Development Corporation and has more than 30 years of experience in economic development, community organization and marketing. Laura assists with prospects, research and business recruitment and retention.

Since joining the Metro Denver EDC, Laura has worked on a variety of office and industrial projects including Vestas, DaVita, Lockheed Martin, Fidelity, Ardent Mills and Panasonic Enterprise Solutions Company.

Prior to joining the Metro Denver EDC, Laura was an Economic Development Specialist for the City of Lakewood for six years. While at Lakewood, she coordinated the creation of two urban renewal districts and the relocation of more than 50 businesses that were displaced by the $750 million Belmar redevelopment.

Laura served three terms as a member of the City Council in Sheboygan, Wisconsin. She is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin – Platteville.

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An Inside Look: Feat. Dan Levine of Oxford Economics

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Dan LevineDan Levine joined Oxford Economics US Consulting as Practice Leader of Location Strategies and Economic Development in 2014. He has had a lengthy career in location strategies consulting, economic development and public sector finance.

Dan previously led the Location and Incentives Consulting Practice at ADP, Inc. and also owned and operated a boutique corporate relocation consulting company, MetroCompare LLC.  In these capacities, he advised companies on where to locate new facilities (e.g., call centers, industrial plants and shared-service centers) and negotiated incentive packages on behalf of these companies in excess of $150 million. Clients included Citigroup, Novartis, Burlington Coat Factory, Dyson and the Biotechnology Council of New Jersey.

Dan previously served as Assistant State Treasurer of New Jersey, where he led many of that state’s economic development efforts including the creation of a first in the nation incentive program targeting retention, privatization of the state aquarium and a waterfront master development agreement in Camden, NJ.

Earlier in his career, Dan was Director of Incentive Services at PricewaterhouseCoopers.

Dan is a graduate of Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government (Masters) and earned his BA in Economics from the University of Chicago.

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From The Ground Up: Feat. Jerry Mallot of JAXUSA Partnership

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Jerry MallotJerry Mallot is executive vice president of the Jacksonville Regional Chamber of Commerce and president of JAXUSA Partnership, formerly Cornerstone. Jerry directs a staff of 12 in the areas of business development, international, workforce and research.  Jerry led the formation of a seven-county economic development program to expand high wage jobs in northeast Florida.  During his tenure, Jacksonville has seen its greatest number of new and expanded companies, as well as new jobs created, in the city’s history.

Prior to coming to Jacksonville in January of 1994, Jerry was senior vice president of the Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce and executive director of the Tampa Bay Partnership, a six-county regional economic development program.  Jerry served as Mayor Alvin Brown’s economic development advisor in 2011 and 2012.

Jerry is a member of the Executive Advisory Board of Jacksonville University School of Business, THE PLAYERS Council, Community Connections and the Gator Bowl Association.  He is a past president of Leadership Jacksonville and the Florida Economic Development Council as well as the World Trade Center Association of Florida.  Jerry has served on the Board of Enterprise Florida, the Florida Association of Colleges and Universities, Visit Jacksonville and the World Affairs Council.  He has been named the Economic Development Professional of the Year in both Florida and Kansas.  He has won awards such as the Northeast Florida Business Hall of Fame, Ultimate CEO by Jacksonville Business Journal and Florence Davis Community Achievement Award from Community Connections.

Jerry received a Bachelor’s degree in business and a Master’s degree in economics from Wichita State University. Jerry has also earned the Certified Economic Developer and Certified Chamber Executive designations.

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From The Ground Up: Feat. Annie Baxter of the Georgia Department of Economic Development

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Annie BaxterAnn Marie Baxter is the Director of the Logistics, Energy, Agribusiness, and Food Processing (LEAF) industry team within the Global Commerce Division of the Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD).

Annie has served twice with GDEcD, most recently as Senior Project Manager for the Aerospace, Defense, and Advanced Manufacturing (ADAM) team and previously as a Statewide Project Manager. She has assisted companies such as Caterpillar; Keurig Green Mountain; Systemax; Bed, Bath and Beyond; and King’s Hawaiian with locations. Prior to her times with the GDEcD, Annie worked for the Electric Cities of Georgia and the Albany Dougherty Economic Development Commission.

Annie is a former Board Member with the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties (NAIOP) and former Advisory Director of its 2014 Future Leaders Class. She also chairs the Young Professionals Committee of the Georgia Economic Developers Association and serves on the 2015 4-H Foundation Gala Committee.

Annie is a graduate of the University of Georgia with degrees in Spanish and Public Relations. In her spare time she enjoys playing tennis with her ALTA team and enjoying live music as often as possible.

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An Inside Look: Feat. Woody Hydrick of Global Location Strategies

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Woody HydrickWoody Hydrick is a partner and senior principal of Global Location Strategies, where he provides site selection services and economic development consulting to companies and organizations worldwide. Woody has guided companies in the investment of billions of dollars worldwide. Woody provides strategic consulting services for capital investment projects including new developments, relocations, expansions or consolidations.

Prior to joining Global Location Strategies, Woody was a managing director for Cushman & Wakefield’s Global Business Consulting. Some of Woody’s clients include Novartis, Pfizer, Bristol Myers Squibb, Orica Limited, and Shell Oil & Chemicals. Throughout his career, Woody has executed site searches for clients in North America, South America, Europe and Asia for manufacturing, distribution and headquarters operations representing billions of dollars in capital investments, as well as thousands of jobs. Woody is a recognized as a leader in the field with a particular specialty in life sciences investments.

Woody received his Bachelor of Arts degree in political Science from Athens State University. Some of Woody’s personal interests include travel, reading and family.

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From The Ground Up: Feat. Neal Wade of the University of Alabama

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Neal WadeNeal Wade currently serves as director of the Economic Development Academy at the University of Alabama, where he is working to promote and develop strategic partnerships within the university throughout Alabama and the southeast U.S. to strengthen the environment necessary to grow and expand quality jobs and economies. The Academy will prepare emerging and mid-level professionals in the broad field of economic development. In addition, Neal and others are working on an Advanced Certificate for Economic Development that will be offered through a multi-university collaborative.

Neal has more than 25 years of experience in economic development at the private, state and local levels. Prior to joining the University of Alabama, Neal was the director of the Alabama Development Office (now the Department of Commerce) and served as the state’s chief economic developer for eight years. He was also the first president/CEO of the private Economic Development Partnership of Alabama and executive director at the Bay County, FL Economic Development Alliance.

Neal serves as chairman of the Public Affairs Research Council of Alabama and chairman of the four-state (Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida) Aerospace Alliance, the 4th largest aerospace corridor in the world.

Neal received his Bachelor of Arts in history from Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama.

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