Michigan’s Premier Economic Summit and Annual Meeting Speakers

As speakers are confirmed, we will add them to this page so you can learn about them as well as the topics they are covering.

Shine on West Michigan

Moderator: Kurt Brauer, Partner, Warner Norcross + Judd LLP

Kurt Brauer, partner at Warner Norcross + Judd LLP, assists clients with environmental and economic development matters across many industries, including the agribusiness, automotive, manufacturing, resource-use, energy, mining and real estate development sectors. He counsels not only Michigan- and Great Lakes region-based companies, but organizations across the country and around the world. His expertise encompasses all manner of environmental issues and helps clients secure brownfield redevelopment and business expansion incentive packages. Drawing upon his deep experience identifying, securing and monetizing federal, state and local economic development incentives – Kurt enjoys guiding clients in these large public projects to generate jobs and enhance the local tax base. He chairs Warner’s Agribusiness and Food Industry Group and also chairs the Environmental and Energy Committee of the Michigan Manufacturers Association.

Zach Morris, EDFP, Executive Director, Market One

Zachary Morris, EDFP, is the Executive Director for Market One. In his role, Mr. Morris, leads attraction, expansion and retention of Cass and Van Buren County businesses and supports the planned growth of local communities. He was born and raised in Southwest Michigan and graduated from Decatur Jr. Sr. High School. Prior to his role in Van Buren County, Zachary worked for Southwest Michigan based Kinexus as a Business Services Manager, where he worked with businesses of every size and sector throughout Southwest Michigan on workforce and economic development challenges. Zach holds a bachelor’s degree in Business from Davenport University and is a Certified Economic Development Finance Professional from the National Development Council. He is also a Certified Business Solutions Professional through Michigan State University. He is an active member of his community serving on the Van Buren County Brownfield Authority Board and Economic Development Corporation Board, the Community Corrections Advisory Board, is Vice-President of the Paw Paw Public Schools Board of Education and is the Chairman of the Antwerp Township Planning Commission.

Jennifer Owens, President, Lakeshore Advantage

Jennifer is President of Lakeshore Advantage, the economic development organization for Allegan and Ottawa Counties. She has led Lakeshore Advantage for over 10 years, setting the organization’s vision and strategy for making the Lakeshore region a business and talent magnet. She is known throughout economic development circles as a quick-thinking, action-oriented visionary leader and problem-solver who delivers real results. Jennifer has more than 20 years of leadership experience in marketing, communications, business retention, expansion, and attraction working in various state and local economic development positions throughout Michigan. Prior to Lakeshore Advantage, Jennifer held leadership positions at Southwest Michigan First and Consultant Connect. In addition, Jennifer held key positions at Ann Arbor SPARK and the Michigan Economic Development Corporation.

Randy Thelen, President and CEO, The Right Place, Inc.

As President and CEO of The Right Place, Randy Thelen leads the economic development strategy for the Greater Grand Rapids Region. To achieve the region’s vision of being one of the leading growth economies in the nation, Randy collaborates with business and community leaders to focus efforts on strengthening three strategic pillars: People, Place, and Prosperity. Since taking the helm at The Right Place in 2021, the organization has supported the creation and retention of 4,000+ jobs and $1B+ in new capital investment for the region. Under Randy’s leadership The Right Place has grown to support an 8-county collaborative in the Greater Grand Rapids Region. Randy has expanded the organization’s initiatives to include community development and placemaking, along with increased talent retention, development and attraction services. Randy also championed the launch of a 10-year regional tech strategy that will position the region as one of the leading tech hubs in the Midwest. Randy and his wife Christa are the proud parents of four adult children. In his spare time, Randy enjoys skiing, hiking, biking, reading, and traveling. Past Experience: Randy joined The Right Place team in 2021 after serving as Senior Vice President of economic development at the Downtown Denver Partnership. There he led efforts to attract investment, recruit and retain business, and advocate for housing, retail, and public policy initiatives. He supported downtown projects totaling more than $1 billion in investments. Prior to his role at the Downtown Denver Partnership, he led the Greater Omaha Economic Development Partnership, a two-state, eight-county regional economic development effort. Randy executed a $24 million Prosper Omaha strategy which brought $3.9 billion in new capital investment and 13,000 new jobs to the area. Randy’s career began at economic development organizations in Evart and Monroe, Michigan before he moved to the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC). From there, he was hired as the first President of Lakeshore Advantage, where he led attraction of $1.2 billion in investments and 8,000 jobs during his 10-year tenure. Education: Master of Art in Applied Economics | Binghamton University and Bachelor of Arts in Economics | Alma College.

The Energy Space

Chuck Marshall, President, ITC Michigan & Vice President, ITC Holdings Corp.

Charles Marshall is the Vice President of Transmission Planning for ITC Holdings Corp. In this role, he is responsible for identifying all transmission system needs and developing system solutions to ensure the reliable and economic delivery of electricity to customers across ITC’s four operating subsidiaries. Mr. Marshall previously served as Director of Transmission Planning responsible for ITC’s annual planning assessment to ensure compliance with North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) criteria and facilitating customer interconnections to the transmission system. Mr. Marshall joined ITC as an Associate Engineer in 2004. His experiences range from regulatory policy and stakeholder relations to project engineering and business unit planning. Mr. Marshall is a member of the Midwest Reliability Organization (MRO). He earned a Bachelor of Science in electrical engineering from Michigan Technological University and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Michigan-Flint.

Engage. Build. Grow.

Bob Trezise, President and CEO, Lansing Economic Area Partnership

Bob Trezise has been President & CEO of the Lansing Economic Area Partnership (LEAP) and LEAP Foundation since 2011, representing the Lansing, Michigan region (Clinton, Eaton and Ingham counties) with an MSA population of nearly half a million. During Bob’s tenure with LEAP, the tri-county Lansing regional economy welcomed private sector investment projects totaling over $7.2 billion, along with more than 10,191 direct-private jobs. This economic development success grew LEAP into a nationally recognized top 20 economic development organization (Site Selection Magazine, 2021 MacConway Award Winner). LEAP successfully attracts companies from around the world to the region, helps to retain and expand existing companies, operates a robust multi-tiered small business, entrepreneurial and innovation eco system as well as people/place making programs ranging from childcare, art and culture, main street enhancements, inclusion and work force development. Through contracts, Bob and LEAP also manage the Lansing Regional SmartZone and Ingham and Clinton county’s economic development departments. Beyond LEAP, Bob led the city of Lansing’s economic development efforts from 2006 - 2011, serving as president and CEO of the Lansing Economic Development Corporation (LEDC), the Tax Increment Finance Authority (TIFA) and Lansing Brownfield Redevelopment Authority (LBRA). From 2011 – 2022 Bob acted as both president and CEO of the LEDC/TIFA/LBRA and LEAP. In 2011, Bob received the Michigan Economic Developer’s Association (MEDA) Economic Development Medalist of the Year award and, in 2016, received MEDA’s prestigious President’s Award. Bob’s projects have also received numerous International Economic Development Council’s (IEDC) Gold and Silver projects of the Year awards. Bob was also named by Western Michigan University’s School of Public Policy Affairs as National Alum of the Year in 2020 and was named as a nation’s Top 50 Economic Developer in 2020 by Consultant Connect. Bob’s pinnacle project, the $182 million revitalization of the long-abandoned, downtown Lansing riverfront “Power Station” into a national corporate headquarters, won the National Brownfield Association’s Region 5 Phoenix Award and was the National #1 Runner Up winner. The Arts Council of Greater Lansing has recognized Bob and LEAP’s cutting-edge placemaking efforts with the Business Leadership Award. Bob and LEAP’s staff were also recognized by the US Small Business Administration’s Administrator for outstanding regional entrepreneurial efforts. Other signature projects, during Bob’s career, that he played a major role in if not led are: Ultium $2.5B electric battery plant, $250M mixed use Red Cedar project on Michigan Avenue, downtown East Lansing high rise City Centre, Knapps historic building downtown Lansing, Lansing Poet Laureate program, Glanbia dairy production facility in St. Johns, re-organization of the downtown Lansing Principle Shopping District, riverfront development downtown Lansing, Medtech and Agtech initiatives. During the pandemic, Bob led a special LEAP team effort that distributed, in two year’s time, approximately $25M to several thousand small businesses throughout the three-county area. In the early days of Bob’s long-standing economic development career, he served as the Managing Director and creator of the Michigan Economic Development Corporation’s Community Assistance Team (CATeam) from 2001 – 2006 (still in place today). Additionally, Bob is the founder of the Michigan Main Street program (still in place today after 20 years) and worked on hundreds of community revitalization projects across Michigan. Additionally, Bob served as vice president of the Lansing Regional Chamber of Commerce (LRCC) board and Director of Delta Township’s economic development department. In both roles, Bob was part of the successful Keep and/or Retain GM campaign. Bob grew up in the city of Lansing, is married to Kerri and they have four children. Bob is a proud graduate of the Lansing School District, James Madison College at Michigan State University, and the Public Administration/Public Affairs Graduate program at Western Michigan University. He is also a published poet.

Semiconductor Growth in Michigan

John McLaughlin, Global ESG Leader & Ann Arbor Site Lead, KLA

John McLaughlin is the Global ESG Leader and Ann Arbor site leader for KLA, a global tech company that produces advanced inspection tools, metrology systems, and computational analytics across the electronics industry. In his ESG role, John leads KLA’s Environmental, Social, and Governance program including KLA’s global reporting on climate emissions and sustainability and serves as president of the KLA Foundation. In 2018, KLA announced that Ann Arbor, Michigan will be the site of the company’s second headquarters. In his site lead role, John is responsible for KLA’s growing presence in Michigan, including the scale-up and operations of the company’s R&D campus in the Ann Arbor Technology park that is home to over 600 engineers, scientists, and corporate professionals supporting customers and operations across the globe.

Master Plan for Housing and Developer Attraction

Pablo Majano, Senior Community Planner, Michigan Economic Development Corporation

Pablo Majano is a Senior Community Planner at the Michigan Economic Development Corporation working with the Redevelopment Ready Communities Team to provide Technical Assistance support around planning and economic development tools to communities across the state of Michigan. He received his bachelor’s in urban planning at Michigan State University, and master’s in public administration at Central Michigan University.

Prior to working at the MEDC, he served as the vacant property coordinator, historic preservation officer and city planner for the City of East Lansing.

SSBCI 2.0: Capital, Technical Assistance, and the Future of Small Business Support

Salifou Mahaman, Project Manager, Second-Stage Growth/Small Business Services, State of Michigan, Michigan Economic Development Corporation

Sal is a Project Manager at the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC), overseeing key small business programs. He manages program design, implementation, and partnerships to support capacity building. Previously, he worked as a Project Manager for Pure Michigan Business Connect (PMBC), facilitating connections between Michigan business and identifying supply chain gaps. Sal is a certified Economic Development Finance Professional (EDFP/NDC) and has degrees in Economic and MBA with a concentration in Supply Chain Management.

Eric S. Trevan, Ph.D. is an economist and business leader. He serves as an Investor and President of aLocal Solutions, an AI market and economic analytics platform. Previously Dr. Trevan served two appointments as a Tenure-Track Professor, his most recent appointment being at California State University San Marcos. His research and teaching focuses on public policy, Native economies, public administration, innovation, and community and economic development. He is a thought leader on the need to grow local and Native economies combined with economic policy. He also specializes in complex financial arrangements through leveraging public and private regulations, policy, and economic resources. Dr. Trevan focuses on a variety of industries, but specializes in technology, economic analytics and advising, gaming and hospitality, education, and development. Dr. Trevan is active with board governance, which includes serving as an Independent Director on the Board of Directors of Heritage Distilling, Inc., which recently announced its intention to become a publicly traded company on the NASDAQ exchange this spring under the ticker symbol (NASDAQ: CASK). He also serves on the Board of Directors of varied Native Business Entities that range in industries from gaming/casino, cannabis, convenience stores, health care, hospitality (hotel/restaurant/bar), logistics, agriculture, private equity, and lending. Collectively, in 2023, these entities he helps guide have combined assets under management (AUM) of nearly $750 million. His other past board experience includes serving on the Board of Directors of Northern Initiatives, a Community Development Finance Institution (CDFI), and as a former Policy Advisor to the Treasury Tribal Advisory Committee of the US Department of Treasury. Previous experience also includes leadership positions in government, planning, economic development, national public policy, Native relations, and governance. Dr. Trevan earned his Ph.D. at Arizona State University Watts College of Public Solutions, Community Resources and Development (Community Development and Economics), his Master's Degree in Administration (Public Administration) from Central Michigan University, and his Bachelor's Degree in Public Administration/Economics from Western Michigan University. He is a Native citizen of the Match-E-Be-Nash-She-Wish Band of Pottawatomi, Gun Lake Tribe in Michigan.

A Partnership That Builds More Than Just Products: How Innovation and Industrialization Roll Up Their Sleeves to Shape Michigan’s Future

Kevin D. Johnson has been the driving force behind the Detroit Economic Growth Corporation (DEGC) as its President and CEO since June 2018. Under his assertive leadership, DEGC has emerged as the leading entity in Detroit’s economic development, spearheading initiatives that prioritize job creation, substantial capital investment, and robust small business growth. Johnson’s unwavering commitment to access, inclusion, and financial empowerment for all Detroit residents shapes the core of DEGC’s mission. As CEO, Johnson has relentlessly advanced DEGC’s economic development agenda, focusing on attracting and retaining businesses and fostering international investment. His strategic vision has built on DEGC’s legacy of over 40 years of impactful work in Detroit. A hallmark of his leadership was securing Stellantis' monumental $4.5 billion investment in the city, leading to the creation of thousands of jobs that will transform Detroit's economic landscape. With a career spanning more than four decades in both public and private economic development, Johnson has held influential positions across various states, including Arizona, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia. Prior to his tenure at DEGC, he excelled as the Senior Vice President of Economic Development at Invest Atlanta, where he led transformative initiatives that created jobs and attracted billions in capital investment. Johnson's distinguished leadership includes roles such as President of the Athens, GA Area Chamber of Commerce and Vice President of Business Development for the Greater Phoenix Economic Council and the Research Triangle Foundation in North Carolina. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Political Science and Pre-Law from South Carolina State University and has earned the Certified Economic Developer Designation from the International Economic Development Council. Johnson is deeply involved in the community and serves on multiple boards. He is the Chair of Economic Development Leaders for Michigan, an Executive Committee member of the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy, a board member of the Downtown Detroit Partnership, and a board member of TechTown Detroit. Additionally, he remains an essential member of the International Economic Development Council, consistently advocating for progress and innovation in economic development. His expertise and impact have garnered significant recognition. He was named one of the Top 50 Economic Developers of 2019 by Consultant Connect and has been featured in the Power 50 lists by the Michigan Chronicle as well as the Power 500 by DBusiness Magazine. In 2024, he was honored with the prestigious Pioneer Award from DBusiness Magazine.

Center for Automotive Research

John Voorhorst, Vice President of Economic Growth & Innovation, Center for Automotive Research

John Voorhorst serves as the Vice President of Economic Growth & Innovation at the Center for Automotive Research. John has held an extensive range of leadership roles in the mobility, energy, and government sectors, including heading North American location analysis and site selection for DENSO Corporation, executive business/economic development positions with Entergy Services (New Orleans) and DTE Energy (Detroit) as well as with the states of Michigan, Indiana, and Louisiana. He is particularly accomplished in the attraction of foreign direct investment in the North American market. John holds degrees from Hope College (B.S.) and the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor (M.A.). He is also a graduate of the executive course in strategic planning and decision-making at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Sloan School of Management.

Today’s Outlook on Trade and Tariffs

Alyssa Tracey, Director, International Trade, Michigan Economic Development Corporation

Alyssa Tracey is the Director of International Trade at the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC), in which she oversees export growth support for small-medium sized businesses across the State of Michigan. In this role, Alyssa coordinates export programming and service delivery through international trade centers, grant administration, and technical assistance. As a result of engagement with Michigan’s small business community, the International Trade team has facilitated over $6 billion in facilitated export sales since 2011. The MEDC is a public-private partnership serving as the state's economic development and marketing arm, and lead agency for business, community, talent, tourism, and overall economic growth. Prior to this role, Alyssa served as a Business Development Manager with MEDC, where she facilitated expansion projects, workforce development support, and other business support services for companies primarily located in the Metro Detroit region. In this role, Alyssa facilitated $740 million in private investment statewide in coordination with local partners and Michigan Strategic Fund commitments. Before joining the MEDC in 2016, Alyssa was a Senior Economic Development Specialist for Macomb County Department of Planning & Economic Development, Program Manager for Prima Civitas Foundation, and Legislative Assistant in the Michigan House of Representatives. Alyssa has served on the Board of Directors for Women in Defense – Michigan Chapter (WID Michigan) since 2015 and in 2024 joined the Board of Directors for Michigan Israel Business Accelerator (MIBA) and Greater Detroit Foreign Trade Zone. Alyssa holds a master’s degree in Modern Middle East and North African Studies from the University of Michigan and a bachelor’s degree in International Relations from Michigan State University. Alyssa holds the certifications of Economic Development Finance Professional (EDFP) through the National Development Council and Certified Global Business Professional (CGBP) through NASBITE International.

Steven Olinek, Executive Director, Greater Detroit Foreign Trade Zone, Inc.

W. Steven Olinek is a transportation, logistics, and trade-development professional with more than 35 years in the management and marketing of commodity transport. He was the longtime deputy director of the Detroit/Wayne County Port Authority (DWCPA) where he was responsible for marketing Detroit port facilities and service providers, representing the DWCPA in regional and national trade initiatives, maintaining relationships with elected officials, the media, industry and the port community. He was a founding member and board chairman of the Great Lakes Cruising Coalition, co-chaired the St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation’s long-term competitiveness committee and co-chaired the executive planning committee of the Detroit 300 Sail Detroit tricentennial event. Prior to joining the DWCPA, he was supervisor of logistics planning for the Stroh Brewery Company, and worked as general manager of Hub City, a national 3PL. He began his career with the Grand Trunk Corporation, now CN. Since 1990, he has managed Greater Detroit Foreign-Trade Zone, Inc. (GDFTZ), a non-profit Michigan corporation. GDFTZ markets and administers U.S. FTZ No. 70 in Southeast Michigan. GDFTZ’s mission is to help create employment and foster the global engagement and competitiveness of companies in its grant area by providing cost savings in the form of duty deferral, remission, and elimination. As GDFTZ’s executive director, he reports to an eight-member board of directors and is responsible for marketing FTZ services to regional industries and economic-development agencies. He monitors compliance and contractual requirements of FTZ operators and serves as the liaison to the U.S. Department of Commerce (Foreign-Trade Zones Board) and Department of Homeland Security (Customs and Border Protection). He also is president of Detroit Trade Advisors LLC, a trade and transportation consultancy. He received a Bachelor of Science degree with honors from Michigan State University.

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