CANTON, Ohio – The Board and Selection Committee for Stark Economic Development Board recently appointed C. Stephen MacKenzie as its new president and CEO. He takes over from Ray Hexamer, who held this position for eight years and previously announced his retirement.
MacKenzie has 30 years of experience in economic development. He most recently served as president and CEO at Invest Windsor-Essex, where he led the development of the region’s five-year strategic plan focused on innovation and transformation growth of Windsor-Essex from the automotive to the automobility capital of Canada. Under his leadership, the organization successfully secured 58 federal direct investment projects, generating $5.5 billion in capital investment and more than 5,400 new jobs.
“We are thrilled to welcome Stephen as our new president and CEO,” says Brian Belden, SEDB board chairman and executive chairman for The Belden Brick Company. “With his extensive expertise and visionary leadership. SEDB is well-equipped to sustain its momentum, having secured the second-highest ranking in the region for projects won over the past two years.
MacKenzie has spent 29 years in economic development organizations in Nova Scotia, Connecticut, Ontario and now Ohio. He received a bachelor’s degree in commerce from Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia, completed his MBA at European University in Belgium, and is a graduate of the University of Oklahoma Economic Development Institute. He is a member of the International Advisory Committee of the International Economic Development Council, and a board member for the Canada-United States Business Association.