December 13, 2010
Snyder names Finney to lead MEDC; Rothwell to chair jointly appointed executive committee
LANSING - Governor Jennifer M. Granholm and Governor-elect Rick Snyder, in an unprecedented sign of cooperation between incoming and outgoing administrations, today announced that the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) - the state's economic development agency - will be governed in 2011 by a new leadership team that includes appointees of both the incoming and outgoing governors.
In announcing the economic development transition plan, Governor-elect Snyder also announced that the new MEDC Executive Committee has agreed to select Michael Finney as the new CEO of the MEDC. Finney is currently president and CEO of Ann Arbor SPARK, a public-private partnership focused on innovation-based economic development in the greater Ann Arbor region co-founded by Snyder.
"Over the past eight years we have laid the foundation for a new Michigan economy," Granholm said. "We put in place the most aggressive economic development program to diversify Michigan's economy that has resulted in more than $57 billion in private investment, nearly 4,000 economic development projects and the creation or retention of 653,000 jobs. And while our work is far from finished, it's time to pass the torch to Governor-elect Snyder who shares my commitment to diversifying Michigan's economy and creating jobs."
Snyder, who was the first person to chair the MEDC Executive Committee when the group was formed in 1999, said economic development is his passion and Finney is the right person to lead the MEDC going forward.
"Economic development and job creation are top priorities of my administration," Snyder said. "The hard truth is we need to take a different approach when it comes to economic development and I have spent my career creating jobs and environments where businesses can flourish. I have said before we can't simply ‘fix' Michigan, we need to ‘reinvent' Michigan. Mike Finney understands this urgency and will effectively lead the new team at the MEDC so we can take Michigan into an era of innovation."
"I look forward to working with Governor-elect Snyder, the business community, the MEDC Executive Committee, our academic institutions and our regional economic development partners to tell the Michigan story to the companies and talent that we will work to attract and retain in Michigan," Finney said.
Prior to joining Ann Arbor SPARK, Finney served as president and CEO of Greater Rochester Enterprise in Rochester, New York. He also served as vice president, emerging business sectors, of the Michigan Economic Development Corporation. Finney serves on the board of directors for the State Science & Technology Institute and is a past board member of the Michigan Venture Capital Association. He is a member of the Life Sciences Institute and Technology Transfer National Advisory councils at the University of Michigan. Additionally, he is a trustee for the Washtenaw Community College Foundation and the Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation. Finney earned a master of arts degree from Central Michigan University and a bachelor's degree in business administration from Saginaw Valley State University.
In addition to tapping Finney to lead the MEDC, Snyder along with Granholm announced appointments to a new executive committee that will oversee the agency beginning in January. The current executive committee members have tendered their resignations effective December 31, 2010.
Snyder's appointments include:
Snyder announced that the new Executive Committee will designate Rothwell, a former CEO of the MEDC, as chair of the MEDC Executive Committee.
Granholm's appointments to the MEDC board, which will be filed later this month and be effective January 1, 2011, include:
The governor-elect will be sworn in as Michigan's 49th governor at noon on January 1, 2011.
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