Jodi serves as the Executive Director of the Lake County Economic Development Alliance. In this role, she provides business support services to prospective and existing employers and leads critical community development initiatives to improve the overall state of the county and community’s quality of life.

Past Experience

Prior to joining The Right Place, Jodi spent more than 20 years doing community development work with non-profit organizations in West Michigan. She’s worked with United Way, Habitat for Humanity, and Girl Scouts, and has held various leadership positions including serving as an Executive Director, Director of Development, Director of Fundraising & Marketing, and more.

Education

Bachelor of Science, Business Administration | Grand Valley State University

Certifications

• Economic Basics Course Completion
• Non-Profit Fundraising Executive Certificate | Indiana University, Lilly School of Philanthropy
• Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) Redevelopment Ready Communities Certification
• MEDC Certified Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Grant Administrator

Community Involvement

• Lake County Economic Development Alliance Board
• Lake County Community Foundation Board
• Lake County Tourism Development Work Group
• Lake County Broadband Expansion Liaison
• Lake County Chamber of Commerce Member
• Baldwin Outdoor Market Committee Member
• West Michigan Regional Shoreline Childcare Coalition
• Lake County Housing Coalition Member

Notable Projects

The Right Place, Inc.

• 876 Baldwin Downtown Redevelopment Project, Baldwin, MI
• Peterson Farms Expansion (Shelby Twp.), Addition of four new product lines, 50+ new jobs, $22M Capital Investment including $1M CDBG Grant (2020)
• Baldwin Brownfield Redevelopment, $260,000 EGLE grant for demolition and remediation of blight property, developed into $1M retail space. (2020)
• Federal EDA Grant Funded Rural Economic Diversification Planning and Implementation for Lake County (2023-2025)

United Way of the Lakeshore

• Community fundraising campaigns of $2.4 million annually
• Brought Employer Resource Network services to Muskegon area businesses
• Launched the A.L.I.C.E initiative for workforce programming in Muskegon, Newaygo, and Oceana Counties

Muskegon County Habitat for Humanity

• Led the development of $2.6 million in workforce housing
• Tripled the size and revenue of the retail program