REGIONAL Economic Summit

Speakers

Economic Summit Speakers, Topics and Bio’s

Download this .pdf for bio’s and presentation topics for the Summit’s speakers.

Rich Karlgaard
Publisher, Forbes Magazine

Regional Economic Summit Presentation:Mr. Karlgaard will be presenting two subjects: “The Global & U.S. Economies and Markets” and “America’s Coming Heartland Boom – Regional Growth Patterns”

Rich Karlgaard is the publisher of Forbes – the world’s most popular business and financial magazine, read by 4.5 million people per issue. He also is the author of the book, “Life 2.0 How People Across America Are Transforming Their Lives by Finding the Where of Their Happiness”, which was an Amazon and Wall Street Journal business best-seller. In every issue of Forbes, Rich writes a column called Digital Rules. It appears in the front pages of Forbes, directly after columns by Steve Forbes. In his Digital Rules column, Rich writes about technology, entrepreneurship, regional and economical development, and the future of business and work. He frequently lectures on these subjects and is a regular guest on the Fox News Channel’s Forbes on Fox.

In 2005, Rich began writing a daily blog, which appears on the homepage of Forbes.com. Rich joined Forbes in 1992 to start Forbes ASAP, a technology magazine, along with Forbes CEO and editor-in-chief Steve Forbes, and the futurist and writer George Gilder. At Forbes ASAP Rich commissioned original works by Tom Wolfe, John Updike and other notable American writers. Rich is an accomplished entrepreneur. He has co-founded two companies (Garage Technology Ventures, in 1997; and Upside Magazine in 1988) and one civic organization (the 5,500-member Churchill Club in 1985). For the latter, Rich was a co-winner of the Ernst & Young Northern California “Entrepreneur of the Year” award. Rich was raised in Bismarck, North Dakota and graduated from Stanford University with a B.A. in Political Science. Currently, he lives with his wife and two children in Northern California. When he is not working or spending time with his family, Rich likes to fly his single engine airplane around the country and meet the people who make America unique and great.

James Bullard, PhD
President, Federal Reserve of St. Louis

Regional Economic Summit Presentation: KEYNOTE SPEAKER
Dr. Bullard will be speaking on “A Personal View of the Current Economic Environment”.

Dr. James Bullard assumed the Presidency of the St. Louis Federal Reserve Bank on April 1st of this year. Dr. Bullard joined the St. Louis Federal Reserve Bank in 1990 and rose through the research division to become vice president and deputy director of research for monetary analysis prior to the current appointment. He has published extensively and is widely recognized as a leading authority on economic policy issues. In addition, he represents the Bank on the Federal Open Market Committee, the Federal Reserve’s Chief Monetary Policy Body.

Nadira Hira
Writer, Fortune Magazine

Regional Economic Summit Presentation:
Ms. Hira will be presenting on: “Attracting and Retaining the Human Resources Necessary to be Competitive in the New Economic World Environment” and “Brain Drain – Good Regional Strategies To Overcome The Loss of our Educated Youth”.

Award winning journalist as a general assignment writer at Fortune, where she has focused increasingly on stories for and about Generation Y, the fastest growing segment of American workforce. She speaks on how to creatively engage Generation Y as important contributors to corporate culture and productivity, on racial and generational diversity, and on the rose of social networks in the modern workplace and in society in general.

She authored Fortune’s widely discussed 2007 cover story on “Gen Yers” and their impact on corporate America. She also writes a blog for “Gen Yers” on Fortune.com called “The Gig”. In 2007, Nadira received the NewsBios 30 Under 30 award, which showcases the most promising business journalists. She has twice been nominated for National Association of Black Journalists Salute to Excellence Award.

Larry Cox, PhD
President of Cox Consulting

Regional Economic Summit Presentation:
Dr. Cox will be presenting on: “How To Incorporate an Entrepreneurial Strategy Into Your Local Economic Development Program”

Larry William Cox, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor of Entrepreneurship at Pepperdine University’s Graziadio School of Business and Management. Dr. Cox was directed Entrepreneurship Centers at Ball State University and the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Prior to this, he was the Director of Research at the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation in Kansas City, MO. Dr. Cox attended the University of Nebraska on a basketball scholarship from 1972 to 1976. He experienced entrepreneurship firsthand when he started his own company in 1985 selling industrial products to large manufacturers in the Rocky Mountain area. He returned to the University of Nebraska in 1990 to receive a master’s degree in Management Information Systems and a doctorate in Strategic Management.

While earning his advanced degrees, Dr. Cox served as the director of the Nebraska Business Development Center, and consulted hundreds of would-be entrepreneurs. His personal research interests include the impact of entrepreneurship education, and the creative processes of entrepreneurs. An award-winning educator, Dr. Cox especially enjoys helping young entrepreneurs and is an inspiring speaker and seminar leader.

Mohammed Khayum, PhD
Dean, College of Business and Professor of Economics at University of Southern Indiana

Regional Economic Summit Presentation:
Dr. Khayum will be presenting his economic study of our 26 county region during the economic luncheon.

In addition he will offer a breakout session of further examination of the results of his regional economic study entitled: “Digging Deeper into the Regional Data and How To Measure Success”

Mohammed F. Khayum is Dean and Professor of Economics at the University of Southern Indiana. He has a M.A. and Ph.D in economics from Temple University and joined the University of Southern Indiana in 1991. He was named professor of economics in 2001, and served as chair of the Department of Economics and Finance from that time until his appointment as associate dean and director of the MBA program in 2004. He was appointed as Dean of the College of Business in January 2006. Mohammed was involved in conducting a Business Conditions and Outlook Survey, a quarterly survey of businesses in the Evansville area, and in preparing the Evansville Factbook, a compendium of demographic, economic, and social information about Southwestern Indiana. In addition to economic impact studies, he has contributed his expertise to a number of area needs assessment projects and other activities in the field of economics. He has published articles in a variety of professional journals and is the author of one book and a co-editor of another book that addresses economic issues in developing countries.

Jim Colson
President of Site Selection at Angelou Economics

Regional Economic Summit Presentation:
Mr. Colson, from a site selector’s perspective, will be presenting on: “Current Trends in Logistics and Advanced Manufacturing Industries.”

Mr. Jim Colson is Angelou Economics’ President of Site Selection, has been an economic development practitioner for more than 20 years, and brings an incredible reputation. During his vast career, he has held executive positions for New Mexico Partnership, Greater Phoenix Economic Council, Arizona Department of Commerce, and the University of Michigan’s Industrial Development Division. These roles, among others, has attributed to Jim’s experience successfully working on more than 800 economic development and site selection projects. As example, while Director of Economic Development for the City of Glendale (AZ), he played a lead role in the recruitment of the NHL Phoenix Coyotes, NFL Arizona Cardinals, and Bechtel Corporation.

Beyond his experience as an economic development practitioner, before he was recruited to lead AE’s site selection team, Jim was founder of Growing Economies International, a site location and advisory firm with both national and international clients. As a result of his experience, Jim serves as panelist and keynote on many federal and international growth conferences and was decorated as Economic Developer of the Year in 2002 for his work in Arizona.

Mark L. Williams
President, Strategic Economic Development of Columbia, SC

Regional Economic Summit Presentation:
Mr. Williams, from a site selector’s perspective, will be presenting on: “Current Trends in Logistics and Advanced Manufacturing Industries”

Mark Williams is the president of Strategic Development Group, Inc. (SDG), a business-consulting firm based in the Southeastern USA that provides a variety of services designed to enhance competitive advantage and produce significant cost savings to large corporations and their suppliers during the site selection process, incentive negotiations and related follow-up. Strategic Development Group has completed highly successful site location projects with major US corporations and multi-national corporations based in Europe and Asia. Mr. Williams is nationally recognized as an expert economic developer. He has earned the professional designations of Certified Economic Developer (CED) and Certified Economic Development Finance Professional (EDFP) and has chaired the American Economic Development Council’s Certification Board, which certifies professional economic developers in the United States and Canada.

Mr. Williams was recently named as “One of the Top 10 Site Consultants that know the South Best” by Southern Business and Development magazine. He has been awarded the Order of the Palmetto, the highest honor that can be given to a South Carolina citizen, for his success in industrial development during the 1990’s.

Team Collaboration Consisting of:

Mark Giuffré, Public Affairs Manager, UPS Airlines
Representative from the City of Louisville
Representative from the University of Louisville

Regional Economic Summit Presentation:

This team will be presenting on: “Engagement of Business in the Economic Development Process—How Communities and Business can Engage Together in Economic Development”

As UPS Air Group Public Affairs manager, Mark Giuffré has responsibility for public policy that affects all UPS entities in Kentucky, including UPS Airlines and Worldport. In his role, he handles issues covered at local, state, federal and international levels. A native of New York, Giuffré started with UPS in 1988 as a package car driver in New York City. In 1989, he was promoted into management and spent three years supervising on-car and preload operations in the New York City area. From 1992 to 1994, he served as communications/human resources supervisor for the Metro New York District, and then moved to Atlanta, where he spent another  two years working in UPS’s corporate communications office. In 1996, he was promoted to communications manager for the Northeast Region. Mark relocated to Louisville in 2001 to serve as the UPS Airlines Public Relations manager.

He was promoted to his current assignment in 2007. Giuffré graduated from Marist College in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., with a bachelor’s degree in fashion design and wholesale merchandising and communications. Before joining UPS, he worked for three years in the fashion industry with companies such as Lord & Taylor and Gucci. Giuffré serves on several boards affecting industry in Kentucky including the Kentucky Motor Transport Association (KMTA), the Kentucky Manufacturers Association and the Kentucky Aviation Association (KAA). He also is a member of the Leadership Kentucky class of 2008 and serves as a member of the Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence. The Board Chair of YMCA National Safe Place, Giuffré was named the agency’s Volunteer of the Year in 2004. He also serves on the board of directors for the YMCA of Greater Louisville, and served on the board of directors for Stage One, Louisville’s children’s theater, and New York Cares, an organization that helps volunteers find opportunities to help in New York City.

Mark Long
President, Long Performance Advisors

Regional Economic Summit Presentation:
Mr. Long will be presenting on: “Idea to market—How the Entrepreneur Takes the Next Big Idea and Moves it to Commercial Success”

Mark Long is the President of Long Performance Advisors, LLC, a consulting company focused on accelerating efforts in incubation, technology transfer, sales and marketing, and business and economic development. Long is also currently a visiting faculty in Entrepreneurship and Management at the Indiana University Kelley School of Business. Long is the former President and CEO of the Indiana University Research and Technology Corporation (IURTC), which owns and operates the Indiana University Emerging Technologies Center (IUETC), a life sciences incubator. He also served as President and CEO of that facility. In those positions, Long facilitated Indiana University/Industry research and technology collaborations and oversaw the business incubation development of new companies for the economic growth of the state of Indiana.

Long also served 2 years as President and CEO of the Midwest Proton Radiotherapy Institute, a cancer treatment facility located at the cyclotron facility at Indiana University. Long was the former Director of Technical Operations at Washington University in St. Louis, where he was responsible for business development activities in biomedical sciences, including marketing inventions, promoting licensure of discoveries, evaluating patentability,  and promoting University/Industry collaborations on research projects for the clinical and biotechnology industries. He previously served as Vice-President of Sales and Marketing at Sigma Diagnostics, a medical diagnostics division of Sigma-Aldrich Corporation. Long has more than twenty years of experience in clinical diagnostics in sales, marketing, and technical services, holding additional positions at Coulter Corporation and Baxter Diagnostics. Long started his career working in hospital laboratories.

Mark James
Founder and CEO of Ed Solutions, Inc.

Regional Economic Summit Presentation:
Mr. James will be presenting on: “Funding and Structures for Local and Regional Economic Development Organizations”

As President and Founder of ED Solutions, Inc. Mark James leads a firm dedicated to helping economic development organizations with the effective use of technology. Mark’s has a client list of over 50 organizations and companies. He has also served as an advisor on the development or redesign of some of the most effective economic development web sites in the profession including those for the British Midlands, Dallas, Nashville, TVA, Philadelphia, Dayton and the State of Washington. Prior to starting ED Solutions, Inc.

Mark was director of economic development for American Electric Power (AEP). AEP is one of the largest investor-owned electric utility companies in the United States, serving portions of 11 states, from Michigan to Oklahoma. James shared his ideas on helping existing businesses stay strong as well as improving your community’s website to make it appeal to a younger and vibrant workforce.

Sharon Younger
President, Younger Associates, LLC

Regional Economic Summit Presentation:
Dr. Younger will be presenting on: “Memphis Experience – An example of Regional Collaboration”

Sharon Younger, Ph.D. is the president and founder of Younger Associates, a market research and strategic communications firm that specializes in economic development. Over the past 18 years Sharon has guided regional economic development initiatives across the U.S including multi-state regional collaborations in Washington and Oregon; Tennessee, Mississippi and Arkansas; as well as Texas and New Mexico. Younger Associates research played a role in the two most recent automotive plant location decisions and is being utilized by a number of major suppliers in location and expansion decisions. Younger has developed innovative research processes that have become recognized as best practices in the economic development field.

Each year Sharon teaches the capstone course for target marketing based on regional assets for the Economic Development Institute of the International Economic Development Council. Her firm combines the ability to research a region’s strategic assets and the ability to effectively communicate these advantages. Utilizing this knowledge-based approach Younger Associates has helped regional groups develop and promote a distinctive brand identity.

Andy Mace
Consultant, Cushman & Wakefield Global Consulting

Regional Economic Summit Presentation:
Mr. Mace will be presenting on: “How to Market Your Community to Site Selectors”

Andy Mace is a Principal in the Supply Chain Solutions Group of Cushman & Wakefield’s Business Consulting practice. He has 9 years of operations improvement, location strategy, site selection and economic development consulting experience involving office, distribution and manufacturing facilities in diverse industries and geographies. His particular expertise involves the optimized location of industrial facilities through evaluation and comparison of locations’ utility and transportation infrastructure, labor market characteristics, permitting and site development requirements, real estate suitability, and long-term operating costs. Recently, he served as site selection project manager for the 16-month effort to identify the optimal location for Thyssen Krupp’s $3.7 billion, 2,700-employee steel production facility currently under construction in Mobile, Alabama.

J. Wood Hydrick
Consultant, Cushman & Wakefield Global Consulting

Regional Economic Summit Presentation:
Mr. Hydrick will be presenting at the luncheon with other site selectors on: “Current Trends in Bio, Life Science, and Energy Industries”

J. Wood Hydrick (Woody), based in Atlanta, is a member of the Business Incentives Group. Mr. Hydrick is responsible for providing strategic consulting services to Cushman & Wakefield clients for capital investment projects including new developments, relocations, expansions, or consolidations. Through his career he has secured deals for the clients in North America and Europe for manufacturing, distribution and headquarters operations representing billions of dollars in capital investment and thousands of jobs.

Mr. Hydrick also has extensive experience in site selection and economic development consulting. Recent clients assisted by Mr. Hydrick include Emergent BioSolutions, Pfizer Global Research & Development, Orica Limited, Berlex Laboratories, Merchant Energy Group of the Americas, Tennessee Valley Authority, BBA Nonwovens, and Brose North America. In addition Mr. Hydrick recently assisted confidential clients with the following services: Site selection and incentives identification for a Fortune 500 Headquarters operations; International site selection and incentives negotiations for a $1+ billion biologics production facility; North American site selection, incentive identification and feasibility study services for a German automotive company; global competitiveness analysis for a $500+ million biopharmaceutical production operation; US feasibility study for a food-products manufacturer; International site selection services for a Fortune 500 oil and chemicals company. Mr. Hydrick is a graduate of Athens State University.

Michael Trentel
Partner of Silveron Capital

Regional Economic Summit Presentation:
Mr. Trentel will be presenting at the luncheon with other site selectors on: “Current Trends in Bio, Life Science, and Energy Industries”.

Michael Trentel is a Partner at Silveron Capital and is responsible for sourcing capital and executing transactions for a variety of clients in the energy industry. Michael has 19 years of experience in the power, biofuels and oil and gas sectors of the energy industry. He recently served as CFO and Treasurer for a publicly traded renewable energy company where he was responsible for organizing, structuring and closing all financings, including both equity and debt capital. Michael led the successful effort to spin off a subsidiary biofuels division, take it public through a reverse merger, and raise over $285 million in a series of equity and debt capital raises. He has been involved in numerous energy financing transactions including equity partnerships, project debt, subordinated debt and PIPE transactions totaling in excess of $3.5 billion.

Michael also spent nine years in the oil and gas industry with ARCO and its affiliates serving in both financial and engineering positions where he focused on upstream oil and gas production; surface facility performance, steam and water flood recovery and in-field drilling programs. Michael holds a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from Purdue University and an MBA from the University of Southern California.

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Hugh Haydon
Chairman, Kentucky Bio Processing

Regional Economic Summit Presentation:
Mr. Haydon will be a panelist discussing: “Entrepreneurism in Today’s Established Company—How a Company can Nurture and Foster The Essence of Entrepreneurism in Their Firm”

Hugh Haydon is Chairman and CEO of Owensboro, Kentucky based Kentucky Bioprocessing, LLC (KBP). KBP is a world leader in the expression, extraction, processing and purification of proteins and other high value products from plants. In addition to its business objectives, KBP is focused on using its position as the world’s only full scale producer of pharmaceutical products from plants as an economic development platform to create a plant made pharmaceutical business cluster in the Owensboro region. Prior to coming to KBP Haydon served as Commissioner of both the Kentucky Department for Community Development and the Kentucky Department for Regional Development. He has also served as President/CEO of the Owensboro Area Chamber of Commerce/Industry Inc. In addition to this public sector experience Haydon has also spent time as Vice-President for Project s and Programs for Washington, D.C. based G&H International.

Hank Menke
President and Owner, OFS

Regional Economic Summit Presentation:
Mr. Menke will be a panelist discussing: “Entrepreneurism in Today’s Established Company—How a Company Can Nurture and Foster The Essence of Entrepreneurism in Their Firm”.

As President and Chief Executive Officer of OFS Brands, Inc., Robert H. (Hank) Menke, Jr. oversees the direction of the company and safeguards our vision of becoming the premier office furniture manufacturer in the industry. He is the single largest stockholder of the company and President of the Board of Directors. Hank began his professional experience in the office furniture industry at Thomasville Furniture Industries in Thomasville, NC. He joined Styline Industries (now OFS Brands, Inc.) in 1978 and in 1982 assumed duties as President of the company. In the early 1980s, Hank was instrumental in the company’s decision to focus on the manufacturing of wood office furniture under the name OFS. Under his leadership, OFS expanded its product offering to include a diverse line of casegoods, conferencing furniture and upholstered seating. The success of these endeavors can be measured in the phenomenal growth of the company over the past 30 years.

Over the years, Hank has served as Director of the Indiana State Chamber of Commerce, Charter Officer of the Huntingburg Chamber of Commerce, member of Young Presidents Organization, Vice President of the Salem Church Board, President of the Board of Service Concepts, Vice President of the St. Joseph Hospital Board, Hadi Shrine Tempel and Board of Trustees for Millikin University. He is also a current Board Member of Integrity Capital Corporation, Dubois County Area Development Corporation and Freedom Bank.

Dr. Cheryl King
President Kentucky Weslyn University

Regional Economic Summit Presentation:
Dr. King will moderate the panel presenting on: “Entrepreneurism in Today’s Established Company—How a Company can Nurture and Foster The Essence of Entrepreneurism in Their Company”.

Dr. Cheryl D. King, the thirty-second president of Kentucky Wesleyan College, was born in Owensboro. Her family relocated to Seneca, Kansas when she was a second grader. Her mother, Louise Downing, resides in Seneca. Her father, Ray, is deceased. She was the valedictorian of her senior class at Seneca High School in 1965. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Education from Kentucky Wesleyan College in 1970, her Master of Arts in Education and Psychology from Western Kentucky University in 1976 and her Doctorate of Education in Organizational Leadership from Vanderbilt University in 1986. King began her career as a music teacher at Foust Junior High School in Owensboro. She has been involved in education at all levels her entire professional career, including preschool, middle school and postsecondary and adult education. She was appointed Commissioner of Kentucky Adult Education in 1996 and then served as Deputy Secretary for the Kentucky Cabinet for Workforce Development. She helped write the adult education legislation, The Adult Education Act of 2000. This legislation, a national model, placed Kentucky Adult Education within the Council on Postsecondary Education. It resulted in more than doubling enrollment in adult education across the state with a significant increase in the state appropriation.

She was Study Director of the National Commission on Adult Literacy from 2006 – 2008. The independent, blue ribbon panel comprised of national leaders and experts representing business, education and government, issued a national report, “Reach Higher, America,” Overcoming Crisis in the U.S. Workforce,” in Washington, D.C. in June 2008. Dr. King began her presidency at Kentucky Wesleyan College on July 1, 2008. She also served on the college’s Board of Trustees for many years and was the Executive Vice President of External Relations at the college in 2006. King serves on the Board of Trustees of the Global Board of Higher Education Ministries of the United Methodist Church, the Owensboro Economic Development Board, the RiverPark Board and the Owensboro-Daviess County Community Foundation. She is a member of Settle Memorial United Methodist Church and the Owensboro Rotary Club.

Jim and Linda Baird
Owners, Little KY Smokehouse Fresh Meal Solutions

Regional Economic Summit Presentation:
Mr. and Mrs. Baird will serve on a panel moderated by Larry Cox entitled “Entrepreneurial Resources and
Real Life Success Stories and Resources Available To America’s Entrepreneur”.

Jim and Linda Baird have taken their small family-owned business in Union County and made it a national company that sells boneless, deli hams through a distributor to some of the largest grocery chains in the United States. The Bairds are the first to admit that a big part of that success is
due to the help of organizations and people across the state. In September 2002, Little Kentucky Smokehouse received a $950,000 forgivable loan in Agricultural Development Funds to help finance construction of a multimillion dollar meat processing plant. That plant is now producing 7 to 8 million hams annually in three varieties.

In the summer of 2003, a forgivable loan in Ag Development Funds was awarded to Little Kentucky Smokehouse to expand its plant. The plant has doubled production capacity and allowed development of a “Kentucky Fresh” product.

Warren Ribley
Director of Operations Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity

Regional Economic Summit Presentation:
Mr. Ribley will serve on a panel moderated by Larry Cox entitled “Entrepreneurial Resources and Real Life Success Stories and Resources Available To America’s Entrepreneur”.

Warren Ribley has served as Director of Operations for the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) since March, 2003. He is responsible for oversight of the Department’s 12 administrative offices and 12 program bureaus. Warren has 21 years of professional experience in state government and an additional 8 eight years in the private sector, focusing on financial services.

He previously worked in the Office of the Illinois Senate President as an analyst for various
committees. After that he joined the Office of the Illinois Treasurer and became Director of Banking, managing banking relationships with over 500 financial institutions and broker dealers and overseeing the state’s investment portfolio.

David Gard
Deputy Director of Small Business and Entrepreneurship
Indiana Economic Development Corporation

Regional Economic Summit Presentation:
Mr. Gard will serve on a panel moderated by Larry Cox entitled “Entrepreneurial Resources and
Real Life Success Stories and Resources Available To America’s Entrepreneur”.

As Deputy Director of Small Business and Entrepreneurship for the Indiana Economic Development Corporation, David Gard provides strategic and analytical support for the state’s efforts in encouraging innovation and the creation of high growth companies and small business in Indiana. The specific entrepreneurial-focused programs Mr. Gard supports include the 21st Century Research and Technology Fund, the Venture Capital Tax Credit program, the SBIR/STTR federal grant initiative, and the Small Business Development Center network.

Mr. Gard’s unique business background features broad experience in strategic planning, financial management, business development, and corporate venturing attained through various leadership positions in the energy (Duke Energy) and banking (Fifth Third Bank) industries. He began his career by serving as a U.S. Navy Supply Corps officer during Operation Desert Storm. Mr. Gard holds both an MBA and BS from the Indiana University Kelley School of Business in Bloomington.

Anne Chaney
Executive Vice President, Community Ventures Corporation

Regional Economic Summit Presentation:
Ms. Chaney will serve on a panel moderated by Larry Cox entitled “Entrepreneurial Resources and Real Life Success Stories and Resources Available To America’s Entrepreneur”.

As an executive vice president with Community Ventures Corporation, Anne Chaney is responsible for capital access and deployment for the organization’s housing and business lending programs. The Corporation’s multiple business lines provide training, technical assistance and lending services across more than a third of the Kentucky, with several housing and economic development programs expanding to statewide availability through the Corporation’s five satellite offices. The corporation currently manages more than $19 million in assets. Prior to joining Community Ventures, Ms. Chaney worked for several years directing economic development efforts in Appalachia, and is also the former executive director of a faith-based nonprofit owning and operating 50 units of affordable rental housing. She worked for several years for Kentucky’s housing finance agency, where she was responsible for homeless housing and service programs in 118 of the state’s 120 counties, and allocation of more than $12 million per year in other affordable housing production financing. Her 20+ years of experience in economic and community development have given her a unique appreciation of entrepreneurship at all levels – from individual business owners to growing companies, to nonprofits striving to survive in the current economic climate.

Regional Economic Summit Presentation:
This team will be presenting on an example of: “Successful Regional Economic Development”.

Jim Mentesti
President Great River Economic Development Foundation

Jim Mentesti is the President of Great River Economic Development Foundation (G.R.E.D.F.), which was created in 1978 to help retain existing businesses, and to assist companies with relocation and expansion in Quincy and Adams County, Illinois. This is Jim’s 21st year at GREDF. Jim’s economic development activities include being a Director of the Rural Adams Development Corporation
and a member of the Steering Committee of the Tri-State Development Summit. He is active in the
Western Illinois Corridor Council and is a Past Workforce Investment Board Member, and Past President Illinois Development Council. Jim’s community activities include being a Charter Director of Quincy Area
Community Foundation; a Quincy University Trustee and President of the Quincy University Foundation. He is a Past President of the Kiwanis Club of Quincy, and Spring Lake Country Club.
Jim earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Management from Quincy University.

Shelby Crow
Visiting Extension Unit Educator Community and Economic Development Adams Brown Unit

Shelby Crow is a Community & Economic Development Educator with the University of Illinois Extension, Adams/Brown Unit based in Quincy, IL. She started her career with University of Illinois Extension in 2006. She earned her Bachelor’s in Communications and Master’s in Recreation, Parks & Tourism Administration from Western Illinois University. In her professional capacity, Shelby is the Facilitator for the Tri-State Development Summit, a 35-county regional initiative and coordinates a Young Professionals program which has 300 members. Shelby is a member of Illinois Development
Council, Regional Economic Development Consortium and Association of Community Development
Extension Professionals. She also is an active board member for the Liberty Education Foundation
and Friends of the Trails and a member of Rotary.

Henry H. “Hal” Johnson, III
President/CEO Upstate Alliance

Henry Harold “Hal” Johnson III was named President/CEO of the Upstate Alliance in February 2005. Prior to assuming duties as President/CEO of the Upstate Alliance in April 2005, Johnson served nearly six years as Executive Director of the Orangeburg County Development Commission. Following, Hal spent three years with the South Carolina Department of Commerce as a Project Manager on the National Sales Team. Hal served as President of the South Carolina Economic Developers’ Association from May 2005 until May 2006 and is currently serving on the Board of Directors for the Southern Economic Development Council. In September 2003, he was named 2003 “Economic Developer of the Year” by the National Rural Economic Developers Association.

He is a 1988 graduate of the Citadel, with a BS in Business Administration. After graduating from the Citadel, Hal spent five years with Milliken and Company in manufacturing and sales in LaGrange, GA, and two years with Tietex Corporation in sales in Spartanburg, SC.