CEO, Bloomington Economic Development Corporation

Jorgenson Pace

The Bloomington Economic Development Corporation (BEDC) is the leading economic development organization for Monroe County, serving a community of over 100 member organizations and collaborating closely with the City of Bloomington, Monroe County, and Ellettsville governments, Indiana University Bloomington, and Ivy Tech Bloomington. BEDC works in partnership with our members, government and academic leaders to strengthen the local economy through focused efforts in business retention, expansion, and attraction.

BEDC seeks a strategic, collaborative, and outcomes-driven leader to guide and grow our impact as the county's premier economic development organization.

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) provides visionary leadership, strategic direction, and operational oversight to BEDC. The CEO will drive the organization's mission to support existing businesses, attract new investment, and facilitate growth opportunities while maintaining strong partnerships with municipal and county governments, educational institutions, economic development partners, and BEDC members. The CEO is responsible for budgeting, program execution, staff development, fundraising and grant administration, policy alignment, and external communications.

This role reports to the BEDC Board of Directors, leads a small team of three staff members, and oversees an annual operating budget of approximately $700,000.

Strategic Leadership and Governance

• Develop and execute a clear, measurable strategic plan that advances BEDC's mission to strengthen the local economy through business retention, expansion, and attraction; align partners around site readiness and targeted attraction priorities.

• Partner with the Board of Directors to establish and monitor annual goals, performance metrics, and long-range initiatives.

• Convene and coordinate with local and regional economic development organizations (LEDOs), employers, utilities, and community partners to strengthen regional competitiveness.

• Maintain strong working relationships with local, state, and federal elected and appointed leaders, higher education leaders, and other key community and regional stakeholders.

Economic Development and Program Management

• Drive a disciplined, urgent, and responsive deal pursuit process – from first contact through site visit coordination, stakeholder briefing, follow-up, and close – with a focus on BEDC's target industries:
Life Sciences, Technology, Defense, Advanced Manufacturing, Microelectronics and Semiconductors, and related innovation sectors.

• Build and maintain a structured, active business development pipeline including target prospect lists, outreach cadence, lead qualification criteria, and stage-by-stage deal tracking.

• Identify, cultivate, and manage a targeted outreach program with existing member companies and prospective investors.

• Facilitate site readiness, permitting, workforce development, and incentive discussions across public and private partners, including utilities, municipalities, higher education institutions, and workforce development organizations. Proactively identify capacity, infrastructure, and regulatory constraints before they become obstacles and drive solutions.

Stakeholder Collaboration and Partnerships

• Foster strong, transparent relationships with municipal leadership, county government, utilities, universities, and the BEDC member network.

• Act as a neutral convener to align public initiatives with private sector needs, ensuring inclusive and equitable economic development.

Financial Management and Resource Development

• Oversee budgeting, financial reporting, and fiscal oversight for a $700,000 annual budget.

• Lead all fundraising, grant applications, sponsor ships, and public-private funding strategies to sustain and grow BEDC's programs.

• Ensure the organization operates efficiently while providing accountability and compliance with applicable laws and regulations.

Operations and People

• Lead a small team of three staff, including hiring, performance management, professional development, and workload planning.

• Ensure robust administrative systems, data…