An increased demand for services in the areas of business acceleration, attraction and communications has led
Southwest Michigan First to expand its team.
Ron Kitchens, chief executive officer of Southwest Michigan First, says the amount of interest from companies inside and outside the region has increased several fold as the economic development organization has promoted the region's assets.
"Our new team members will help expand our organization’s ability to better serve our partners and clients through our commitment to provide seamless business consulting services,” says Kitchens.
New team members include:
• Alex Chung has joined the organization’s business acceleration team. He will serve as the organization’s first point of contact at its Three Rivers location. The acceleration division focuses on developing partnerships with existing companies in the region to spur job creation. Chung's background includes both entrepreneurial start-up and legal experience for the U.S. Army, Business Intelligence Associates and, most recently, at Arkhym in Portage. He is a graduate of Alma College in Alma, and Santa Clara University School of Law in Santa Clara, Calif.
• Carla Winchester serves in Southwest Michigan First’s attraction division, which works to attract companies in targeted industry sectors to the Southwest Michigan Region. Examples of that division’s recent successes within the past year include the attraction of Newell Rubbermaid to Western Michigan University’s Business Technology and Research Park, Merhow Industries to the Village of White Pigeon, and General Mills to Midlink Business Park. Winchester previously worked as assistant Director of Kalamazoo-based Prevention Works. She is a lifelong resident of Michigan and a graduate of Western Michigan University.
• Miranda Garside has joined Southwest Michigan First serving on the organization’s communications team. A graduate of Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas, Garside has experience in production editing and data management.
Southwest Michigan First serves Berrien, Branch, Cass, Calhoun, Kalamazoo, St. Joseph and Van Buren counties. It is an organization of privately funded economic development advisors who act as the catalyst for economic growth in Southwest Michigan.
Source: Southwest Michigan First
Photos: Miranda Garside, Alex Chung, Carla Winchester
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