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From The Ground Up: Feat. Kenny McDonald of Columbus 2020

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Kenny McDonaldKenny McDonald serves as the primary leader of all economic development and business attraction efforts for the 11-county Columbus Region in his position as chief economic officer of Columbus 2020. Kenny has an extensive background in site selection, regional economic development, community marketing, business recruitment and international business development.

Kenny holds the professional designation of Certified Economic Developer (CEcD) and serves as an elected member of the Board of Directors for the International Economic Development Council. In addition, he serves locally on the boards of Columbus Crew, MidAmerican Global Ventures, NAIOP, SciTech and Transportation Research Center.

Previously, Kenny served as the executive vice president of the Charlotte Regional Partnership, a public-private economic development organization covering a 16-county region in North and South Carolina. Kenny’s 16 years of economic development experience also include leadership positions at the Albuquerque Economic Development Corporation, Fluor Daniels Global Locations Strategies and the Savannah Economic Development Authority.

Kenny received a Bachelor of Science in business administration from Dickinson State University and a Master of Public Administration from Georgia Southern University.

Kenny writes weekly about economic development and Columbus 2020’s activities on the Columbus Region blog, Economic Development Matters.

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An Inside Look: feat. Eric Stavriotis of CBRE

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Eric StavriotisEric Stavriotis is a senior vice president in the Chicago Occupier Practice Group and is a leader of CBRE’s Economic Incentive Solutions Group. Eric brings more than 13 years of experience working across North America and has negotiated more than $1 billion in incentives for clients. Eric has worked across all industry verticals and project types.

Prior to joining CBRE, Eric was a member of Jones Lang LaSalle’s Business and Economic Incentives Group, where he focused on site selection and incentive negotiations, incentive administration, labor strategy, location advisory, footprint configuration and overall real estate strategy.  Prior to his role at Jones Lang LaSalle, Eric served as director of consulting at Pollina Corporate Real Estate Inc. Eric’s responsibilities included acting as lead engagement manager for clients, performing location advisory, economic incentives negotiations and tenant representation services.

Eric is the author and a frequent contributor to several business publications, including Area Development Magazine, Commercial Property News, Financial Times, Business Facilities, Real Estate Forum and Shopping Centers Today.  ​Eric is a licensed Illinois real estate broker, a member of National Lekotek Ambassadors and also a board member for both AquaPro and Team Kick Cancer.

Eric received his Bachelor of Science degree in finance and marketing from Miami University and his Juris Doctorate from the University of Minnesota Law School.

 

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From The Ground Up: Feat. Michael Hecht of Greater New Orleans, Inc.

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Michael HechtMichael Hecht is President & CEO of Greater New Orleans, Inc., the economic development organization for southeast Louisiana.  GNO, Inc.’s mission falls broadly into two categories:  business development – attracting and growing businesses – and product development – creating better business conditions.  Under Michael’s leadership, GNO, Inc. was recently named the #2 economic development organization in the United States by Business Facilities magazine.

Before coming to GNO, Inc. Michael led the quarter-billion dollar Katrina Small Business Recovery Program for the state.  Previous to coming home to Louisiana, Michael worked for Mayor Michael Bloomberg in New York City as an Assistant Commissioner, running the post-9/11 small business program.

Michael’s entrepreneurial experience includes co-founding a conglomerate of restaurant ventures, including “Foreign Cinema,” named Restaurant of the Year 2000 in San Francisco.  He began his career as a strategic management consultant.

Michael holds an MBA from Stanford Graduate School of Business, and an undergraduate degree from Yale.

Recently Michael has been recognized as “One of the 25 Most Powerful People in the 10/12 Corridor,” and “One of the Top 50 Economic Developers in North America.”

With family roots in Louisiana back to the 1830s, Michael now lives in New Orleans with his wife, Marlene, an ESL professor at Delgado, and his two sons, Dexter and Kaj (“Kī”).

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An Inside Look: Feat. Scott Kupperman of Kupperman Location Services

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Scott KuppermanScott Kupperman formed Lake Forest, IL-based 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 comprehensive, site consulting services designed to maximize the long-term value of a well-informed facility location decision. This initiative was driven by the desire to independently utilize 15 years of site-selection experience, client relationships and nationwide contacts and resources. Scott’s capabilities make him particularly well suited to provide a very strong value proposition for clients in need of warehouse, distribution and light manufacturing facility solutions. Scott has a history of serving clients with a variety of product types with specific manufacturing and distribution needs, with a particular focus on companies involved in all aspects of the food industry.

Scott spent 12 years with A. Epstein and Sons International, Inc., a Chicago-based architectural/engineering/construction firm. Scott’s 25 plus years of experience also includes more than 11 years of experience working for one of Florida’s largest community developers. Scott’s background includes the marketing, permitting and acquisition and disposition of over $300 million in land assets to a diversified array of retailers, developers and jurisdictional bodies. Over the past 15 years, Scott has worked with clients to provide site selection analyses, site acquisition support, due diligence exercises, entitlement and permitting assignments, and incentive identification and negotiation.

Scott is a frequent speaker and contributor to professional trade groups and publications associated with the site selection and economic development industry. In 2014, he served on the Editorial Advisory Board for Area Development Magazine.

Scott received his Bachelor of Science and Management from Tulane University and his Master of Business Administration from the University of Miami.

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From The Ground Up: Feat. David Ginn of the Charleston Regional Development Alliance

David Ginn

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David Ginn In his leadership role as president and CEO with the Charleston Regional Development Alliance (CRDA), David Ginn works closely with the region’s top business, academic and political leaders to shape and execute a comprehensive regional economic development strategy. He also leads the organization’s day-to-day efforts, and is directly involved with global business development and global marketing initiatives.

David has been with the CRDA since its inception, serving as the organization’s executive vice president and project director before being named president and CEO in 2000. A Certified Economic Development professional, he maintains keen awareness of current issues in economic development, thanks to affiliations with the International Economic Development Council and as past president of the S.C. Economic Developers Association. He has also held professional economic development and industrial marketing positions in Atlanta and Savannah.

David grew up in the Atlanta area, and holds a degree in economics and international business from the University of Southern Mississippi. He also studied abroad at the London School of Economics. He and his wife, Jean, live in Mount Pleasant with their two children.

 

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An Inside Look: feat. Minah Hall of True Partners Consulting

Minah Hall

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Minah HallMinah Hall is a managing director in True Partners Consulting’s Chicago office and specializes in negotiating incentives and financial incentives for companies changing their operations.  With over a decade of experience negotiating and implementing state and local tax credits and incentives for distribution and manufacturing facilities, data centers, back office/call center operations, retailers and corporate headquarter relocations, Minah excels at creating benefits for companies making extraordinary expenditures.

Prior to joining True Partners Consulting, Minah was a manager at two Big Four public accounting firms in Chicago.  Minah negotiated tax incentives for companies at every stage of development, from Fortune 500, mid-sized and start-up companies.  Minah also prepared cost burden analyses for various companies to help quantify the available opportunities and the cost/benefit comparisons of locating at specific sites. In addition to her client responsibilities, Minah actively participates in state-sponsored focus groups aiding the development of the jurisdictions’ incentives programs – specifically for Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, Michigan, Texas, Utah and the joint Kansas-Missouri effort focused on Kansas City. Her involvement and relationships with public sector officials makes her a valuable asset when advising corporate clients.

Minah is involved in the Institute of Professionals in Taxation, of which she is the overall education chair for Credits and Incentives and is a Certified Credits & Incentives Professional (CCIP), as well as a speaker for various conferences including Consultant’s Forum, Women in Economic Development Forum and the Chicago Tax Club. Minah serves on the executive board of the University of Illinois Real Estate Alumni Forum.

Minah received her Bachelor of Arts from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and her Juris Doctor from Loyola University Chicago School of Law.  Minah is an active member of the Illinois State Bar.

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From The Ground Up: feat: Cindy Symons-Milroy of the City of Oshawa

Cindy Symons-Milroy

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Cindy Symons-Milroy Cindy Symons-Milroy has over 27 years of experience in economic development and holds two professional designations; an Ec.D. from the Economic Developers Association of Canada and a CEcD from the International Economic Development Council.  Cindy’s work experience covers a broad range of business support including investment attraction, business retention and expansion, labor force development, real estate, airport operations, entrepreneurial development, finance and organization management.

Cindy has spent the last 15 years of her career as the Director of Economic Development for the City of Oshawa, a mid-size city on the outskirts of Toronto, Ontario.  Well known for its automotive excellence, since she has been in this role, the City’s economy has diversified beyond automotive manufacturing and today includes significant investment in new post-secondary institutions that have resulted in the development of high tech growth sectors that are driving the new economy.

Cindy grew up in an entrepreneurial environment and knows first-hand the challenges that businesses face.  This is part of what contributes to the success of her efforts in attracting and maintaining investment in the City.  Her drive to succeed comes from the desire to make a difference in her community.

Cindy’s favorite quote is “Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass, but learning to dance in the rain.”

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An Inside Look: feat. Betty McIntosh of Cushman & Wakefield

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Betty 2Betty McIntosh is a senior managing director at Cushman & Wakefield’s Global Consulting Group. Betty has over 20 years’ experience in assisting major U.S. and international clients in making strategic decisions related to expansion.  Betty has represented clients in many different fields, including automotive, consumer markets, industrial products, pharmaceuticals, healthcare and steel to name a few. Betty has conducted site selections and assisted in developing financial strategies for numerous clients, including Hyundai, DaimlerChrysler, Mobis, Ford Motor, Benteler Automotive and more.  Betty obtains tax and operational savings for various types of projects through her strong relationships, tax knowledge and negotiation skills.

Prior to be promoted to managing director of the business incentives practice of  Cushman & Wakefield, Betty was a director of the location incentives group. Betty was also a partner of the state and local tax team at KPMG, LLC.

Betty is nationally recognized as an expert on economic development issues and has been quoted in publications including The Wall Street Journal, Tax Management and CFO Magazine. Betty is currently Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of MultiState Taxation and Incentives. Betty is a Certified Public Accountant and serves on the board of directors and is a member of the executive committee for the Georgia Foreign Trade Zone Association.

Betty received a Bachelor of Business Administration in accounting from the University of Mississippi and a Masters in Taxation from the University of Memphis.

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From The Ground Up: Feat. Brian Hilson of Birmingham Business Alliance

Brian Hilson

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Brian HilsonBrian Hilson is President and CEO of the Birmingham Business Alliance (BBA) and is responsible for all areas of the BBA, including economic development, public policy, communications and other programs designed to grow and diversify the Birmingham regional economy and enhance the quality of life for all citizens.

He has been involved in economic development in Alabama since 1980. Prior to his joining the BBA in 2011, Brian was President and CEO of the Chamber of Commerce of Huntsville/Madison County. Previously, he was a Vice President of the Birmingham Metropolitan Development Board and has held economic development positions with the Birmingham and Mobile Chambers of Commerce. Over the years he has worked with a wide variety of national and international companies’ economic development projects, such as Lockheed Martin, Toyota, LG Electronics, Sterilite Corp., UPS, Delta Air Lines, Verizon and the HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology.

A native of Huntsville, Brian is a graduate of Auburn University and the University of Oklahoma’s Economic Development Institute. He is a graduate of Leadership Alabama, Leadership Birmingham and Leadership Huntsville/Madison County, and is active in state and national economic development organizations. He is past president of the Economic Development Association of Alabama and the Japan-America Society of Alabama, and is the 2015 chairman of the Chamber of Commerce Association of Alabama.  He is a recipient of the Rainer Bauer Award from the Alabama Germany Partnership and the Samuel Ullman Award from the Japan-America Society of Alabama.

He currently serves on boards of directors or advisory boards of several additional state and local organizations, including the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute and the Business Council of Alabama. Having spent his entire career in the economic development profession, Brian is a strong believer that employment opportunities are the best way to make communities better.

Brian and his wife, Windy, have two married children. Carlton is an attorney with Burr & Forman in Birmingham and Abby is a teacher in Arlington, Tenn.

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An Inside Look: feat. Derith Jarvis of Mohr Partners

Derith Jarvis

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Derith JarvisAs managing partner of Mohr’s Site Selection and Incentive team, Derith oversees all site selection activities for national accounts and one-off transactions in markets across North America. Mohr Partners’ site selection department deliverables include market availability analysis, mergers and acquisitions support, comparable studies, real estate market trend analysis, labor and demographic analyses and GIS mapping to name a few. Derith also personally oversees the process of negotiating economic incentives at all levels of government on behalf of Mohr’s clients. Derith joined Mohr Partners in 2006 as the Director of Research and Site Selection.

Prior to joining Mohr Partners, Derith spent 8 years with Nielsen Media Research, a leading provider of television audience measurement and related services. During his time at Nielsen, his responsibilities included preparation of sample market analyses, including demographic studies, and managing the demographic makeup of assigned Nielsen samples. He was also responsible for implementation of several different research methodologies and overall field operations management for Nielsen’s New York market.

Derith has been a featured speaker at various industry events including Expansion Management’s Roundtable in the South, Consultant Connect, Southern Economic Development Council’s Meet the Consultants, Area Development’s Consultant Forum, Teamwork Louisiana Conference, Kentucky United Economic Development Conference and several other state economic development conferences.

In 2008, Derith was named Mohr Partners’ Mentor of the Year. He also served in the United States Navy for four years and received a Bachelor of Science in Business Management from the University of Phoenix.

Note: For more information or to save your seat for the Workforce Workshop taking place June 24 and 25 in Chicago, click here!

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