Lake County Partners names new president/CEO
An economic development professional in Columbus, Ohio, will become the new point man to attract business and jobs to Lake County.
Michael Stevens, deputy development director for Ohio’s largest city and state capital, has been selected as the president and CEO of Lake County Partners, the county’s development arm.
“It was a confluence of factors,” said Chuck Lamphere, chairman of the agency’s board of governors and president of Van Vlissingen & Company. “Clearly, he had the right mix of experiences.”
Lake County Partners is a not-for-profit corporation that works to attract, retain and expand business, create jobs, stimulate investment and improve the business climate. It has been operating without a full-time chief since last fall, when Steve Anderson stepped down.
About 150 people applied for the position as part of a national search. The selection of Stevens, who has 15 years experience in the public and private sector, was announced Wednesday. He was not immediately available for comment.
Stevens also was manager of facility operations for Cardinal Health and economic development director in Dublin, Ohio, according to information provided by Lake County Partners.
Lamphere said Stevens’ efforts in Columbus resulted in 116 companies locating or expanding, with 24,475 jobs added to the local economy.
While Stevens will become the go-to guy in Lake County, his appointment does not represent a change in focus or strategy for the organization, according to Lamphere.
“He’s going to build upon that which was pretty much developed before him,” Lamphere said. “This is not something where there’s been a major shake up and there was a need for radical change.”
Lake County Partners is a public/private partnership comprised of local elected officials and business leaders.
As part of its funding, the agency will receive $387,000 from the county during the current budget year.
County Board Chairman David Stolman said creating and retaining jobs was more important than in the past, given the continuing economic challenges and competition from neighboring states.
“We’re looking to get more companies to relocate to Lake County,” Stolman said. “We’re getting property shovel-ready to go. We’re trying to get our transportation enhanced. There are a lot of things coming together.”
Stevens is expected to start at the end or March or early April. His salary was not disclosed.
“We think we have a good person to be as effective as one can be in this (economic) environment,” Lamphere said.