LEADERSHIP
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT LEADERS FOR MICHIGAN
Warren
Call
Warren Call serves as the President and CEO of Traverse Connect. Warren holds an M.B.A. in International Finance from St. John’s University, Tobin College of Business, and a B.A. in History from Michigan State University.
Since joining Traverse Connect in March 2019, Warren has led the organization’s strategic direction, advocating for local businesses, and representing the region on a global scale. His responsibilities include collaborating with local, state, and national entities to address critical economic development issues.
Warren’s career spans various roles, including Institutional Sales Manager at Crystal Mountain, Private Client Advisor at Merrill Lynch, and several positions at Huntington National Bank, where he served as Vice President, Assistant Vice President, Brokerage Sales Manager, Private Bank Portfolio Manager, and Private Bank Region Manager. This diverse experience has equipped him with a proven track record of revenue growth, financial management, and thought leadership.
Beyond his professional endeavors, Warren is deeply involved in his community, championing economic development, public policy advocacy, and business growth. He resides in Traverse City with his wife Marina, daughter Sofia, son Winston, and their dog Chewy. In his leisure time, Warren enjoys skiing, fly fishing, and managing his family vineyard.
Marty
Fittante
Marty Fittante began to lead InvestUP, the regions’ private sector-led regional economic organization, on January 1, 2019, where he has grown the investment base of the organization by over 75%. As CEO, he has engaged in business development and retention work in all 15 Upper Peninsula counties, and has advanced a data-driven focus for the organization’s strategic planning.
Before joining InvestUP, Fittante served on staff in the legislature for 14 years with stints as Chief of Staff to the 38th Senate District, which spans most of the Upper Peninsula, and as Policy Advisor to the Michigan House of Representatives. During his service to the legislature he managed three statewide task forces that addressed job creation, education, and agriculture, and helped manage passage of over 100 bills into law. He also worked on legislation that led to the Healthy Michigan Forestry Package, a partnership between the forest products industry and the environmental community to provide sustainable, responsible forest harvesting practices
In 2014, Fittante was named as the inaugural recipient of the Jon Farley Michigan Legislative Staff Award, which is given to the legislative staffer who provides extraordinary service and is motivated by a dedication to service and a desire to foster a legislative environment based on merit and results.
Fittante is a graduate of Bay College, Ferris State University, and Wayne State University Law School. Following graduation from WSU, he spent thirteen years practicing law in the Upper Peninsula, with a focus on criminal defense and domestic relations. That work brought Fittante before Michigan’s trial courts in a number of jurisdictions, Michigan’s Appellate Courts, and once before the Michigan Supreme Court.
An Escanaba native, Fittante and his wife Lisa, live in Iron Mountain, where they own an accounting firm that serves small and medium sized businesses across the Upper Peninsula.
A lifelong fan of the Green Bay Packers, Fittante’s other passions include captaining a pontoon boat, stand-up comedy, the latest electronic wizardry, and loving on “Mickey,” a four-year-old Cavalier King Charles spaniel. His utopian vision includes one where he can outplay his wife on the golf course, where speed limits are advisory, and where his grandson didn’t affectionately nickname him “Sneaky G.”
Payton
Heins
Payton Heins is a strategic and results-driven leader with deep expertise in housing, community, and economic development. As President and CEO of the Northern Lakes Economic Alliance (NLEA), a regional economic development organization serving Northern Michigan, she drives the organization’s vision to strengthen regional prosperity, economic resilience, and long-term growth.
Before joining the NLEA, Payton served as Director of Policy and Strategic Initiatives at the Michigan Office of Rural Prosperity, where she advanced statewide solutions for housing, workforce, and business growth through cross-agency collaboration and legislative engagement. Her career spans local, state, and national levels, leading efforts in housing, economic growth, and organizational capacity building. She previously managed statewide operations for a national community revitalization consultancy and has led complex redevelopment and small business initiatives across Michigan.
Payton holds a Master’s in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Michigan and a Bachelor’s in Social Policy and Relations from Michigan State University’s James Madison College. She is a Certified Economic Developer with the International Economic Development Council and active member of the Michigan Economic Developers Association and Vistage Michigan.
Kevin
Johnson
Kevin D. Johnson is the President and Chief Executive Officer for the Detroit Economic Growth Corporation (DEGC), the city’s leading inclusive economic development driver. He has served as president and CEO since June 2018.
Under Johnson’s leadership, the organization focuses on job creation, capital investment and small business growth for the City of Detroit. Access, inclusion and financial growth for all Detroiters form the foundation of all DEGC work.
As president and CEO, Johnson spearheads DEGC’s economic development initiatives, including business attraction and retention, neighborhood small-business growth and international investment. In this role, Johnson builds upon 40-plus years of positive impact the DEGC has had on Detroit. Most recently, Johnson was integral in bringing Fiat Chrysler’s/ Stellantis $4.5 billion investment to Detroit, and with it thousands of Stellantis and supplier jobs.
A veteran of the industry, Johnson has served in both public and private economic-development positions throughout the U.S., including roles in Arizona, Florida, North Carolina and Georgia. In his most previous role at Invest Atlanta, Johnson led the economic development program for the city, helping to create jobs and generating billions of dollars in new capital investment.
Johnson began his career nearly 30 years ago as the assistant county manager and Director of Economic Development for Caswell County (NC) Municipal Government. Throughout his career he has held a variety of leadership positions including president of the Athens Area Chamber of Commerce, vice president of business development for the Greater Phoenix Economic Council and vice president of business development for Research Triangle Foundation in North Carolina.
Johnson received his Bachelor of Science in Political Science and Pre-Law from South Carolina State University. He received his Certified Economic Developer designation from the International Economic Development Council and has received numerous professional and community awards. Johnson was named one of the Top 50 Economic Developers of 2019 by Consultant Connect, a consulting agency designed to bridge the gap between economic developers and site consultants. He also serves as a member of the International Economic Development Council.
Paul
Krutko
Paul Krutko has been Ann Arbor SPARK’s president and CEO since 2011. Ann Arbor SPARK is a public-private partnership of business, government and academic institutions working to create economic prosperity in the Ann Arbor area of innovation. In his role as CEO, he leads the organization’s efforts to expand the regional economy through initiatives to support entrepreneurs and early-stage companies accelerating their growth to full potential. SPARK curates and implements a strategic framework designed to maintain and to enhance the region's global competitiveness.
Paul has more than four decades of economic and community expertise. He led San Jose, California's economic development efforts in Silicon Valley where he served as chief development officer. He also had similar leadership roles in Cleveland Ohio and Jacksonville Florida. Paul founded Peloton Development, a consultancy devoted to advising businesses and municipal, regional, state and national governments on economic development and climate prosperity strategies and on creating high performing economic development leaders and teams.
In addition to his responsibilities as SPARK CEO, Paul Krutko was honored to serve as chair of the preeminent professional economic development organization in the world, the International Economic Development Council (IEDC). Paul was founding chair of the Economic Development Research Partnership. He was designated a Honorary Life Member of IEDC in 2013. Paul is Chair of the Board of the International Association of Science Parks and Areas of Innovation (IASP) and will serve in that capacity in 2019- 2021. He is also Treasurer of the American Center for Mobility.
He earned a Bachelor of Urban Planning and Design degree from the University of Cincinnati, College of Design, Architecture and Art in 1979.
Jennifer
Owens
Lakeshore Advantage President Jennifer Owens delivers direct business attraction, expansion and retention services while providing overall leadership to the organization. Since joining the organization in 2013, she has helped various major business expansion and attraction projects. She has more than 15 years of leadership experience in business retention, expansion and attraction working at various state and local economic development positions throughout Michigan.
Prior to joining the Lakeshore Advantage team, Jennifer held the positions of vice president at Southwest Michigan First and principal of Consultant Connect, an organization that cultivates relationships between economic developers and location consultants. At Southwest Michigan First, Jennifer led the firm's new business attractionefforts. In addition, Jennifer held key positions at Ann Arbor SPARK and the Michigan Economic Development Corporation.
Her accomplishments also led her to various awards and recognition, such as being named an Athena Award Finalist (2017), Grand Rapids Business Journal Newsmaker of the Year Finalist (2015 & 2016), Corp Magazine Most Valuable Professional (2017) and Grand Rapids Business Journal’s 50 Most Influential Women in West Michigan (2018). In her free time, Jennifer and her husband Mike enjoy spending time with their three action-packed and athletic sons.
Tyler
Rossmaessler
Tyler Rossmaessler is the Executive Director of the Flint & Genesee Economic Alliance (FGEA). In this role, he leads a team of dedicated economic development professionals working to advance prosperity for the residents of Genesee County. Under his leadership the FGEA has successfully facilitated hundreds of transactions resulting in the creation of thousands of new jobs and hundreds of millions of dollars in private investment in Genesee County.
After noticing a gap in a common community vision in Genesee County, Rossmaessler was the leading catalyst for the creation of a unique community visioning effort called, Forward Together. Through a stakeholder-driven approach, Forward Together activated subject matter experts, community leaders, and the public to design a common vision for economic vitality. Today, Forward Together is the guiding framework for aligning community resources and efforts for reaching the community-developed vision.
Prior to joining the FGEA, Rossmaessler was a business development manager at the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) where he cultivated collaboration among state, local, and private-sector stakeholders to promote jobs and investment in Michigan. He has also worked as a change management consultant for The Clearing, Inc. and Touchstone Consulting Group in Washington, D.C. In these capacities, Rossmaessler was dedicated to supporting “Change Agents” as they tackled the most daunting and complex problems facing our nation. His Top Secret/ Sensitive Compartmented Information (TS/SCI) Clearance allowed him to work with clients from the Department of Homeland Security to member organizations of the Intelligence Community.
Rossmaessler has a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. He also has professional certifications in strategy and performance management (Georgetown University), and economic development finance (National Development Council). In 2021, he was recognized with the “Economic Development 40 Under 40 Award,” the biennial award recognizing rising stars under 40 years old in the economic development industry.
Rossmaessler and his wife, Emily, live in Fenton, Michigan and have three young children.
Carla
Sones
Carla Sones currently serves as interim chief executive officer of Southwest Michigan First (SMF), where she leads the organization’s efforts to strengthen the regional economy and position Southwest Michigan as a competitive, forward-looking market for business investment and growth.
In this role, Sones oversees a comprehensive economic development strategy spanning business retention, expansion, and attraction; workforce and talent development; entrepreneurship and small business growth; and strategic community development across a seven-county region. She works closely with business leaders, government partners and national stakeholders to drive job creation, investment and long-term economic vitality.
Sones also serves as president of Consultant Connect, a nationally recognized consulting platform that connects economic developers with corporate site selection consultants. Under her leadership, Consultant Connect has grown into one of the most influential networks in the industry, providing unique access to site selection insights and strengthening relationships between communities and decision-makers across the country. She has driven significant organizational growth, most notably scaling Consultant Connect from a $250,000 startup to a $2.7 million-plus+ revenue-generating national platform and an international thought leader in economic development.
With more than a decade of leadership experience, Sones is known for her collaborative leadership style, her ability to align diverse stakeholders around shared priorities, and her deep understanding of the evolving site selection landscape. She brings a national perspective to regional economic development, informed by her work with some of the most respected economic developers and consultants in the field.
Sones is a Gallup-Certified CliftonStrengths® Coach and an experienced leadership advisor, with a strong focus on organizational culture, team performance and leadership development. She is passionate about building high-performing teams and ensuring that both strategy and culture are aligned to deliver meaningful results.
She earned a Bachelor of Science in community health education from Western Michigan University and holds a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in the Workplace Certificate from the University of South Florida.
Sones is actively engaged in the community and serves on the Kalamazoo Valley Community College Career and Community Training Advisory Board and the Discover Kalamazoo Advisory Council, and is a member of Economic Development Leaders for Michigan. She is the recipient of the 2024 Community Exemplar Award from Humanex Ventures and a Stevie® Award for Women in Business.
She resides in Southwest Michigan with her husband Carl and their five children.
Randy
Thelen
As President & CEO of The Right Place, Inc., Randy leads economic development strategy through collaboration with local, State, and national organizations and stakeholders. His role is central to the organization’s core work of business retention, expansion, and attraction within the community, while aligning with The Right Place’s mission of driving sustainable economic growth and shared prosperity for all in the Greater Grand Rapids Region.
Randy joined The Right Place team in 2021 after serving as Senior Vice President of economic development at the Downtown Denver Partnership. There he led efforts to attract investment, recruit and retain business, and advocate for housing, retail, and public policy initiatives. He supported downtown projects totaling more than $1 billion in investments.
Prior to his role at the Downtown Denver Partnership, he led the Greater Omaha Economic Development Partnership, a two-state, eight-county regional economic development effort. Randy executed a $24 million Prosper Omaha strategy which brought $3.9 billion in new capital investment and 13,000 new jobs to the area.
Randy’s career began at economic development organizations in Evart and Monroe, Michigan before he moved to the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC). From there, he was hired as the first President of Lakeshore Advantage, where he led attraction of $1.2 billion in investments and 8,000 jobs during his 10-year tenure.
Bob
Trezise
Bob Trezise has been President and CEO of the regional non-profit economic agency called the Lansing Economic Area Partnership (LEAP) for 10 years. During that time, over $3.1 billion in new direct investment has occurred with LEAP regional projects, ranging from high rise mixed use buildings in downtowns Lansing, East Lansing and Michigan Avenue, scores of high tech startup companies, major manufacturing plants and corporate headquarters landed from around the world, and over 175 new business creations.
At LEAP, Bob enhanced the region’s programming with Michigan State University (MSU), created a Place Making program, Poet Laureate program, an Entrepreneurial and Innovation Team, Dept of Equitable Economic Planning, an Attraction Team, the One&All entrepreneurial program focusing on individuals living below the working poverty line, a Youth Entrepreneur annual event, a state leading Business Accelerator Fund (BAF), an Insurtech private equity investment fund and created contracts for full services with the City of Lansing, Ingham County and the Regional SmartZone to manage and staff those economic development departments. Over this period, nearly 7000 direct jobs were created.
Recently, LEAP was named by Site Selection Magazine as one of the nation’s Top 20 producing economic development agencies.
Before LEAP, Bob was President and CEO of the city of Lansing’s Lansing Economic Development Corporation, Brownfield Authority and TIFA for six years. The city experienced historic levels of economic development, during that period, including the nationally recognized redevelopment of the downtown Ottawa Power Station plant into an international headquarters for Accident Fund. Bob also spent five years at the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC), where he helped create and lead the Michigan Main Street program and the Community Assistance Team (CAT Team).
Bob also worked as VP for Capital Choice at the Lansing Regional Chamber of Commerce and was the Coordinator and Founder of Delta Township’s economic development program. During those times, Bob played a significant role in the Retain GM effort and in creating a unique auto supplier system related to Retain GM effort.
Bob has been named by the Michigan Economic Developer’s Association (MEDA) as the Economic Development Medalist of the Year for Michigan and the President’s Award, a Top 50 Economic Developer in North America by Consultant Connect and has received numerous Gold and Silver awards for projects from the International Economic Development Council (IEDC) and the National Brownfield Association. It is possible that Bob and his teams, over 25 years, are responsible for over $10 billion in economic development throughout his career in the Lansing market.
Bob is married to Kerri, has four kids and is a published poet.