President & CEO

THE POSITION

Lakeshore Advantage is seeking its next President & CEO to lead the organization through its five-year strategic growth plan and to build on more than two decades of regional economic development leadership. The President & CEO sets the vision and strategy for the organization, delivers direct business attraction, expansion, and retention leadership, and represents Lakeshore Advantage as the Lakeshore region's chief external voice on economic competitiveness.

The strategic growth plan guides Lakeshore Advantage’s work to attract and generate 5,000 new jobs in higher- wage target sectors over five years. The plan is centered on three initiatives, and the President & CEO will drive execution across all three:

• Future Workforce:
  Accelerate attraction, retention, and growth in the region's talent pipeline, focusing on the next generation of high-demand and emerging workers, education partnerships, and community advisors supporting housing, infrastructure, and childcare.
• Primary Employers and Communities:
  Support the stability and growth of existing employers through business retention, an Economic Response Team, an industry cluster growth plan (food processing/agribusiness, smart manufacturing, and advanced energy storage), headquarter outreach, site consultant relationships, and industrial site readiness.
• Next Generation of Employers:
  Establish a dynamic startup ecosystem through the SURGE incubator, corporate partnerships, education partnerships, and expanded access to capital, positioning West Michigan as a top-ten regional tech hub.

• Lead execution of the five-year strategic growth plan and its expected outcomes across workforce, primary employers, and next‑generation employers.
• Set and steward the organization's EOS Vision/Traction OrganizerTM, Core Values, Core FocusTM, and 10-Year TargetTM in partnership with the leadership team and board.
• Deliver direct business retention, expansion, and attraction services to the region's 600+ primary employers, from founder to Fortune 500.
• Serve as the unifying voice for the Lakeshore region's economic future, deepening collaboration across municipalities, counties, and institutions in Ottawa and Allegan Counties.
• Guide the SURGE entrepreneurial support program and The Next Center incubator to grow the region's startup ecosystem.
• Advance industrial site readiness and the region's industry cluster growth plan (food processing/agribusiness, smart manufacturing, advanced energy storage).
• Cultivate and grow the investor base that funds Lakeshore Advantage's operating budget and supports the organization’s five‑year strategic growth priorities.
• Build effective relationships with the board of directors; provide timely information, minimize conflict, and maintain a clear distinction between board policy and organizational administration.
• Represent Lakeshore Advantage on state, local, and nonprofit boards, and advocate on behalf of the business community on public policy affecting economic development.
• Recruit, retain, and develop a high‑performing, collaborative team aligned with the organization's core values:
  Always Evolving; CEO of Your Own Responsibilities;
  Come to the Rescue;
  Do the Right Thing; and Lead the Standing Ovation.

• Passionate about creating growth and prosperity in a community or region.
• History of successful leadership that is visionary, inclusive, accessible, authentic, and grounded in trust‑building collaboration.
• Strong understanding of the economic development ecosystem and how to work within a multi‑jurisdictional region, with a high‑level network spanning local, state, and federal government, and business and industry associations.
• Demonstrated success in fund development,…