ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

JOHN WHEELER

CEO Wheeler Development Group, Grand Rapids

ED GARNER

Regional director Michigan Small Business Development Center - West Michigan Region, Grand Rapids John Wheeler has inspired and orchestrated the development of more than $1 billion in real estate throughout his dynamic career. Wheeler’s experience with urban core development is equally matched with his passion for his work. His role has been recognized as instrumental to Grand Rapids’ downtown revitalization through the 1990s and early 2000s. He founded and led Rockford Construction from 1987 to 2009, and later partnered with Gary Postma to start Orion Real Estate Solutions in 2011. Wheeler has been recognized for several industry awards throughout his career and his successes have been shared through his varied philanthropic commitments.

EDUCATION: Ferris State University (B, M) HOBBIES:Fishing, hunting, hiking TRAVEL DESTINATION: Islamorada, Florida SPEND DOWN TIME:With family, enjoying the Florida Keys ADVICE TO AN 18-YEAR-OLD: Don’t be afraid to take risks, be honest and hardworking, and be grateful for the opportunities and challenges in your life FAVORITE ATTRACTION: Riverside Park FAVORITE CHARITY: Community Media Center BUCKET LIST: Visit all the continents

Ed Garner is responsible for providing comprehensive leadership, oversight, planning, resource development, coordination and management of the Michigan Small Business Development Center’s West Region Center, at Grand Valley State University. Garner has over 35 years of experience in economic and business development, marketing and sales, lending and customer service. Prior to joining the SBDC, he was the president and CEO of Muskegon Area First Economic Development Corporation and economic development vice president for the Grand Haven Chamber of Commerce. Previously, he served as the executive director of the Kent Area MicroBusiness Loan Services — the first SBA microloan program in the region.

EDUCATION: Michigan State University (B), Western Michigan University (M) FIRST JOB: Sales engineer for Westinghouse Electric Corporation in Southfield. TOUGHEST CHALLENGE:Refusing to fire an employee at the risk of losing my own job because a stakeholder had personal issues with the person. Lesson learned: Do the right thing, and things will undoubtedly work out. DOWNTIME:I enjoy live musical performances, especially jazz, relaxing on the beach and spending time with loved ones. BUCKET LIST:To visit the Egyptian pyramids

BEN WICKSTROM

President, CEO Erhardt Construction, Ada

STEVE HEACOCK

President, CEO Grand Rapids Whitewater, Grand Rapids Ben Wickstrom started as an assistant project manager at Erhardt Construction in 1998, eventually working his way to the top in 2011 as president. He is a member and past board president of the Western Chapter of the Michigan Society of Professional Engineers and past chair of Associated Builders and Contractors Western Michigan Chapter. He also is co-chair of the West Michigan Minority Contractors Advisory Council and heavily involved in the community. Erhardt Construction has a lengthy list of credits to its name. Recent projects include D.A. Blodgett/St. John’s Home, Special Olympics, West Michigan Whitecaps, Lowell YMCA, custom single-family homes and more. Recently, Erhardt was awarded by the Associated Builders and Contractors Excellence in Construction honors on a local and national level.

EDUCATION:Michigan Technological University (B) TRAVEL DESTINATION: My favorite destination is the U.S. Virgin Islands. Family vacations are filled with the most amazing food, weather and people. DOWN TIME: My downtime is spent outside, fishing, with my two sons. FAVORITE ATTRACTION: My favorite attraction has to be our great restaurants and breweries. I especially love a good steak house! BUCKET LIST:The Great Loop, encompassing the eastern half of the U.S. by boat.

Steve Heacock has played a role in many of the developments that have led to the economic revitalization of Grand Rapids: Van Andel Arena, DeVos Place, Millennium Park, Van Andel Institute, Michigan State University College of Human Medicine downtown and more. Prior to joining Grand Rapids Whitewater, Heacock was senior vice president of public affairs/research at Spectrum Health and president of Spectrum Health Innovations. He was chief admin officer of Van Andel Institute, VP of development and general counsel for Priority Health, a partner at Warner Norcross + Judd and a CPA with PwC in Detroit.

EDUCATION: Michigan State University (B), University of Michigan Law School (JD) BOARDS: Legacy Trust chair, United Bank of Michigan board, Gerald R. Ford International Airport board FIRST JOB:At 13 years old, in the kitchen of Hidden Valley in Gaylord BEST ADVICE RECEIVED:Peter Cook told me to broaden perspective by having at least one close friend 20 years older and one 20 years younger. HIDDEN TALENT: I love to cook. My mother taught me. When I was in high school, she would call me from her work at the courthouse and ask me to get a meatloaf ready for dinner. TRAVEL DESTINATION: Paris or Mackinac Island BUCKET LIST:Rafting down the restored rapids in the Grand River

JENNIFER OWENS

President Lakeshore Advantage, Zeeland

KEVIN STOTTS

President TalentFirst, Grand Rapids Jennifer Owens delivers direct business attraction, expansion and retention services while providing overall leadership to the organization. Since joining Lakeshore Advantage in 2013, she has helped guide 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 Lakeshore Advantage, Owens 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. She also has worked for Ann Arbor SPARK and the Michigan Economic Development Corporation. She was named an ATHENA Award finalist (2017), Grand Rapids Business Journal Newsmaker of the Year finalist (2015 and 2016), Corp! Magazine Most Valuable Professional (2017) and Grand Rapids Business Journal’s 50 Most Influential Women in West Michigan (2018).

EDUCATION: Michigan State University (B), Leadership certificates from University of Notre Dame and University of Alabama FIRST JOB:Associate editor, Point of Beginning magazine for land surveyors and GIS professionals. I lasted at that job for six months.

TalentFirst is a CEO-led effort in West Michigan to improve the quality of the region’s talent development, attraction and retention efforts. As president, Kevin Stotts works with business, education, workforce and economic development leaders, as well as policymakers, to ensure West Michigan is a top-20 region for talent. Prior to joining what was formerly Talent 2025, he served as vice president of community programs for the Grand Rapids Chamber of Commerce, where he launched Hello West Michigan, an employer-led effort to attract talent to the region. Stotts also has led several nonprofit organizations related to education, workforce and community development. He also serves on several statewide, regional, and local boards and commissions related to education and workforce, and was a member of former Gov. Rick Snyder’s 21st Century Education Commission and an American Enterprise Institute fellow.

EDUCATION: Michigan State University (B) FUNNIEST WORK EXPERIENCE:I worked two jobs while going to college full time, so I didn’t get a lot of sleep. I would take naps on my breaks at Meijer in the refrigeration coolers when I worked in the grocery department. ADVICE TO 18-YEAR-OLD: Work a lot of different jobs to find what you enjoy most and travel a lot while you have the chance to do it.

PRESTON SAIN

Founder and president Black Wallstreet Grand Rapids Black Wallstreet Grand Rapids is an economic and tourism investment startup entity. As founder and president, Preston Sain’s role, along with co-founders, team members and partners, is to obtain and develop real estate and other acquisitions to build Black entrepreneurship and business districts in West Michigan. BWSGR’s goal is to produce diversity, inclusion, equity-ownership, job creation, wealth, economic stimulation and cultural tourism, as well as creating safer and thriving Black communities in the greater Grand Rapids area, all in an effort to make Grand Rapids a “world class diverse city.” Sain also is the co-founder and director of Grand City Sports, a nonprofit 501(c)3 that “restores and refocuses” at-risk youth through sports, education, community events, programming and advocacy, and is a partner/owner in Black Lake Companies.

DUCATION: Ottawa Hills High School FEW PEOPLE KNOW: I was an All-City (honorable mention) defensive back in 2002, homecoming king in 2003 and a member of All American Scholars Directory recognizing the top students nationally while at Ottawa Hills HOBBIES: Watching documentaries of historic figures, training with boxers and traveling with my wife, Tiarra James-Sain FAVORITE MOVIE: “300” TRAVEL DESTINATION: Riveria Maya Mexico FAVORITE ATTRACTION: Van Andel Arena

RANDY THELEN

President, CEO The Right Place A Michigan native with more than 25 years of experience in the industry, Randy Thelen took the helm of the regional economic development organization in 2021 after serving as senior vice president of economic development at the Downtown Denver Partnership, where 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 and oversaw The Commons, an award-winning entrepreneurial center serving over 15,000 people each year with over 70% of program participants from traditionally underrepresented populations. Prior to joining the Downtown Denver Partnership, Thelen led economic development for the Greater Omaha Chamber. While there, he led a two-state, eight-county regional economic development effort and executed a $24 million “Prosper Omaha” strategy that brought $3.9 billion in new capital investment and 13,000 new jobs to the area. Omaha was recognized by Site Selection magazine as the top-performing economic development region (population 200,000 to 1 million) three years out of Thelen’s four-year tenure with the chamber.

EDUCATION:Alma College (B), Binghamton University (M)