May 2015 Program- Economic Development

Come hear the latest news on economic development in our region.

MODERATOR | Ryan McDaniels- Executive Director for Lake Norman Regional Economic Development

Ryan McDaniels joined the LNREDC in April 2013, after serving for more than a decade with Cabarrus Economic Development.

 Ryan is a graduate of UNC Charlotte, and completed the Economic Development Institute at the University of Oklahoma. Ryan is one of the youngest recipients to receive the prestigious Certified Economic Developer (CEcD) certification. He presently serves on the Accreditation Economic Development Committee of the International Economic Development Council. Ryan is also Past Chair of the Economic Development Advisory Council for the Charlotte Regional Partnership. Ryan serves on the Lake Norman United Way Board of Directors, and is the incoming Chair of the United Way Young Leaders- Lake Norman.

PANELIST| Jeff Edge, CEcD – Senior Vice President with the Economic Development

Jeff Edge heads up the Economic Development team at the Charlotte Chamber. The Chamber’s Economic Development team has been a national leader in business attraction and expansion activities, with accolades such as being named as one of the top 10 economic development groups in the nation by Site Selection Magazine, being recognized at the International Economic Development Council annual conference as gold and silver medal winners as one of the highest performing economic development organizations in the world.   Edge’s primary focus is on the recruitment of corporate headquarters and manufacturing operations. His specialties for recruitment include the motorsports, energy and financial services industries. Several of the higher profile companies that Edge has assisted with locations in Charlotte include Carrier Corporation, General Motors, TJ Maxx, Illinois Tool Works, Stanley Black & Decker, BIC Corporation, Blue Bell Creameries, IKEA, Home Depot, Pactiv Corporation, Chicago Bridge & Iron, Siemens Energy, Time Warner Cable, NASCAR Hall of Fame, Jason’s Deli and Northeastern University.

PANELIST| Peter Zeiler- Economic Development Director for Mecklenburg County

Peter Zeiler is an economic developer with 16 years of experience whose focus is helping cities build sustainable economies by leveraging public-private partnerships and by making effective investments in job creation. Zeiler was named the Economic Development Director of Mecklenburg County in March 2015, where he will lead a reorganization and expansion of County activities including increased emphasis on five key policy areas: Business Attraction & Retention; Commercial & Neighborhood Redevelopment; Small Business & Entrepreneurial Support; Workforce Development and Tourism.

Before joining Mecklenburg County, Zeiler was the Redevelopment Division Manager for the Austin, Texas Economic Development Department. In this role, he lead a team of ten architects, planners and project managers in implementing the redevelopment of more than 700 acres of city owned land with private investment to exceed $2.5 billion. Previous to working in Austin, Zeiler served as the Development and Investment Manager for the city of Charlotte, North Carolina where he led a team that managed the City’s tax incentive, tax increment and commercial revitalization programs. Zeiler also served as a Special Projects Manager for the Detroit Economic Growth Corporation working on assignments as diverse as leading the restoration of large historic buildings and developing new policies in housing and broadband access.

PANELIST| Allison Bowers –Director of Customized Training, Central Piedmont Community College

Allison Bowers is the Director of Customized Training, a statewide program to train new hires and existing employees in new or expanding companies and serving manufacturers with workplace training.   Her current role includes collaborating with the Chamber of Commerce and the State Department to develop & customize training programs for new and expanding companies to the Mecklenburg county area. She also conducts presentations and negotiates Customized Training Program parameters to community/business leaders, economic development organizations, workforce boards, and local & state employers. 

Allison has over 30 years of experience in Business & Industry that include Manufacturing, Banking/Call Center, Retail, Non-Profit, Government, Education and Staffing.  She recently served as Co-Chair in Mecklenburg County for Governor McCrory’s Workforce Development Initiative “NC Works 1,000 in 100”.  

PROGRAM SPONSOR| 

If you have any questions, please contact Jen Weaver at 704.941.2103 or [email protected].

Cancellation/Refund Policy
Cancellations made 72-hours prior to the event will receive a refund. Due to our commitment with the meeting facility for food and beverage quantities, all other cancellations or no-shows will be invoiced for the full cost of the event.