Chris, spearheading business development for Genesee County Economic Development Center (GCEDC), has successfully transacted over $10 million in industrial real estate, marking Genesee County a hub for strategic industry growth. Over his 17-year economic development career, he was instrumental team member in developing the 1250-acre mega site, Science & Technology Advanced Manufacturing Park (STAMP) in Genesee County and was the lead in securing Plug Power and Edwards to the STAMP site. With a steadfast commitment to economic growth, GCEDC has catalyzed over $2 billion in capital investment, leading to the creation of over 5000 + jobs during his tenure.In workforce development, he created “Coach SwazZ” to be the workforce champion for our emerging talent in k-12. He branded the Genesee FAST workforce model, which embodies a proactive approach in supporting sectors like food processing, advanced manufacturing, and skilled trades, enhancing the local talent pool. In collaboration with industry and workforce partners, he established serial workforce entrepreneurial mindset in developing programs. He led the way for the agency to purchase $700,000 in mechatronics equipment for our career and tech high school and co-founded "GLOW with your Hands", a career exploration annual event fostering early engagement and aligning students with local careers. Over the last seven years, he accounts for leading over 15,000 students in our workforce programs.Chris holds a 2-year degree in STEM from Genesee Community College, BS in Industrial Engineering from Alfred University, EMBA from Jacksonville University, plus 20 years of industry experience prior to joining GCEDC over the last 17+ years. He is on numerous boards and always volunteering at local events.