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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.

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.

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.

Doug LawyerDoug Lawyer is the Vice President of Economic Development at the Knoxville Chamber. Doug leads efforts to recruit new jobs, wages and capital investment into the Innovation Valley region. Doug joined the Chamber in 2001. He is also the past President of the Tennessee Economic Development Council as well as Past Chair of the Tennessee Economic Partnership.

Doug received his Bachelor of Arts in geography and political science from Wittenberg University and his Masters in urban planning from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. He has also been awarded the Certified Economic Developer designation.

Doug loves everything outdoors, from hiking to biking to raising his amazing daughters. Doug also enjoys cooking for family and friends.

Brenda RobbinsBrenda Robbins is a senior project manager of economic development for Georgia Power. In this role, she is responsible for facilitating the location, expansion or start-up of businesses wishing to invest in Georgia. Brenda assists companies in identifying potential communities, sites or buildings throughout the state; she also provides market evaluation, construction information, engineering assistance, and serves as a liaison between the businesses and governmental agencies involved in the site selection process. Brenda has a strong background in information systems and software, establishing data centers and talent recruitment.

She has extensive expertise and experience with headquarters locations, information technology, finance and insurance, business services, bio science, health IT and data centers. Brenda has worked with more than 150 companies that have established a presence in Georgia, collectively investing more than $7 billion and employing more than 34,000 Georgians.

Brenda is a member of the Georgia Economic Developers Association, the Metro Atlanta Bioscience Leadership Council and the Alpharetta Technology Commission. She serves on the board of directors of the Atlanta Commercial Board of REALTORS® (ACBR) and was named the organization’s 2014 Affiliate of the Year.

Brenda graduated from Auburn University with a business administration degree in marketing. She completed her Masters in Business Administration at Georgia State University. Brenda is a volunteer with Atlanta Pet Rescue. Her interests include travel, whitewater rafting and gardening.

Janes JonesJana Jones has been with the Boise Valley Economic Partnership (BVEP) since 2006, and is currently the Director of Economic Development Services. During Jana’s tenure with BVEP, she has worked on a variety of business attraction projects, assisted with local business expansions and on advocacy issues. In addition to economic development, she is also co-owner of an Idaho winery, Crossings Winery, with her brother.

Prior to joining BVEP, Jana worked in the economic development field at the State of Idaho, Department of Commerce as Marketing Manager for the Economic Development Division. Jana has also spent time in the private sector, including 12 years as President and Owner of Silver Creek Inc., a regional distributor of fresh produce in Idaho and Utah.

Jana is also involved with a variety of organizations, including past president of the Idaho Economic Development Association and current co-chair of the Education Committee, and has been a board member for the past five years. She is also on the Board of Directors of SWI-MA, Southwest Idaho Manufacturing Alliance, former board member of Capital Matrix, an Idaho 504 loan program, a finalist for Idaho Woman of the Year 2013, an alumnus of Leadership Idaho Agriculture and regularly volunteers at charitable events in the Boise Metro.

Jana is a graduate of the University of Idaho with a double major in public relations and advertising.

Jay Foran 2Jay Foran is the senior vice president of Team Northeast Ohio (NEO). Jay helps businesses discover exciting growth opportunities in the Cleveland Plus region. He works with site selectors and corporate clients and helps them navigate through the regional economic development framework, partnering with local and state economic development groups.

Prior to joining Team NEO, Jay was vice president, Business Development for The Lake West Group LLC, a management consulting firm. Jay also served in a variety of key leadership positions with Procter & Gamble during a lengthy and distinguished career where he was responsible for a variety of business building initiatives that have been emulated throughout the consumer products industry.

Jay has an impressive record of leadership in enabling successful civic advocacy organizations, private and public campaigns, and assessments to support community sustainability. He currently sits on the Board of Trustees for Lakewood Hospital Foundation and is a Lakewood Alive Founder, Officer and Board Member.

Jay received his Bachelor of Science in marketing management from Miami University.

Wendy Dant ChesserWendy Dant Chesser is president and chief executive officer of One Southern Indiana, the chamber of commerce and economic development agency for Clark and Floyd counties in Indiana.

Prior to joining One Southern Indiana, Wendy was president of Cornerstone Alliance, an economic development organization in Benton Harbor, Michigan.  At the time, the Cornerstone chamber had 700 members and Wendy oversaw a $3.3 million annual budget and led a staff of 15.

Wendy has also worked in various aspects of economic and rural development for more than seven years with the state of Indiana. Wendy spent the last year of her government career as deputy executive director for program operations of the Indiana Department of Commerce.

Wendy is a member of the Economic Development Leadership group and Engage Alumni Network. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in business management from Indiana University Southeast.

Michael OganMichael Ogan is the director of business development for the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber. Mike’s responsibilities include managing the Chamber’s business recruitment program, staff and marketing of the Oklahoma City metropolitan area as a business location to local, national and international firms and consultants. Mike also works with the Chamber’s Business Retention and Expansion staff to support the growth of existing firms as well as assist Chamber leadership in providing policy analysis and recommendations on decisions or initiatives being considered by the City Council that impact the local economy or business climate. Mike is responsible for managing and coordinating the Chamber’s organizational and program support for the Greater Oklahoma City Partnership, a 10-county regional economic development partnership.

During his tenure in Oklahoma City, Mike has worked with more than 50 companies to help them locate or expand operations which directly added more than 17,000 new jobs and more than $1 billion dollars in capital investment to the Oklahoma City region’s economy. While in Portland, he assisted more than 80 firms that directly added more than 12,000 new jobs to the Portland region’s economy.

Prior to joining the Oklahoma City Chamber, Mike was the senior business development manager for the Portland Development Commission in Portland, OR. While there, Mike managed and participated in all phases of the business retention, expansion and recruitment processes. Mike was responsible for marketing and promoting the Portland metropolitan area as a business location. Mike also developed and negotiated services and incentives provided to firms, and managed the provision of organizational and program support to the Portland Regional Partners for Business, a 6-county regional economic development partnership.

Mike received his Bachelor of Science in urban and regional planning from California State Polytechnic University-Pomona and his Master of Science in urban and regional planning from Portland State University.

Larry BurkhardtAs the Executive Vice President for the Fox Cities Regional Partnership in Wisconsin, Larry Burkhart has more than twenty years of leadership, managerial and marketing experience in city, county, regional and national economic development corporations. Larry’s economic development priorities include strategic planning and promoting discussion of the hard questions that result in a realistic community vision and increased success. He is a problem solver with a track record of results, known for his fiscal restraint and encouragement of co-workers to develop self-directed initiatives and goals.

Larry’s entire career has been focused on community building: city elected office, many policy boards, workforce development, economic development and community collaboration. Prior to joining Fox Cities, Larry was the president of the Nevada County Economic Resource Council in California and a former Councilman and Mayor of Longmont, Colorado.

Larry loves food and wine, finger style and ragtime guitar playing, and has a travel goal of two new countries a year. Larry is also a member of the Fox Cities Morning Rotary, a past president of Greeley Redeye Rotary Club and a member of the International Economic Development Council.

Larry received his Bachelor of Arts in philosophy from Duns Scotus College, a Theology degree from St. Leonard College and an economic development degree from the University of Oklahoma Economic Development Institute.