News release from Greater Fort Wayne Inc.:
Greater Fort Wayne Inc. Relocates to New Location
Announces Changes to Executive Management Team
(November 13, 2013) – Greater Fort Wayne Inc. announced today that it is now located at 200 East Main Street in Suite 800. The organization moved from its former locations at the Greater Fort Wayne Chamber of Commerce building (826 Ewing Street) and the Fort Wayne – Allen County Economic Development Alliance (111 West Wayne Street) and is now occupying over 12,000 square feet on the eighth floor in the 1st Source Center. In addition, Leadership Fort Wayne is working towards an affiliation agreement with GFW and has relocated to the new space from its former location at 904 South Calhoun. Leadership development and community engagement is central to GFW’s mission and a formal affiliation will be made between the two entities in 2014.
Being in one location allows Greater Fort Wayne Inc. to be the single point of contact for economic development, business services, business advocacy, graduate retention, and leadership development in Fort Wayne – Allen County.
“We are grateful to everyone who devoted their time, talent, and treasure to Greater Fort Wayne Inc. in the past few months to assist with the transition,” stated Mark Becker, CEO. “Such dedication from our investors and staff have made this a smooth transition for each organization to be in one location. We’re excited about the opportunities that this creates for us, which will allow us to work together towards achieving our goal of being a top 25 mid-sized metro area in the Midwest.”
Not only have changes in a physical location recently occurred with the newly formed organization, but also announced today are changes in the structure of GFW’s executive management team.
• Mike Landram, former President and CEO of the Greater Fort Wayne Chamber of Commerce has decided not to transition into a permanent position with Greater Fort Wayne Inc. and has chosen to explore additional career opportunities.
• Karl Bandemer, Vice President of Downtown Development for the Fort Wayne – Allen County Economic Development accepted the position of Deputy Mayor for the City of Fort Wayne and started on October 28.
• Patrick Dooley, Vice President of Airport Development for the Fort Wayne – Allen County Economic Development Alliance accepted a position with Travelex as the Director of Business Development and Key Accounts, North America.
• Bill Zielke has accepted the position as interim Chief Operating Officer for Greater Fort Wayne Inc.
• Mick McCollum will assume the role of interim Vice President of Economic Development for Greater Fort Wayne Inc.
Mike Landram joined the Greater Fort Wayne Chamber of Commerce in 2004 as Vice President of Workforce Development. In 2010, Landram was appointed as President and CEO of the Chamber. During the Chamber’s transition to become Greater Fort Wayne Inc., Landram was influential in keeping members informed and active in Chamber functions, including member relations, graduate retention, and government affairs.
“After nine years with the Chamber, I have valued my time in serving our membership and community,” stated Mike Landram. “Supporting Greater Fort Wayne Inc. through its transition efforts has presented an opportunity for me to explore changes that I’d like to pursue professionally, something that I’ve been considering and haven’t been able to do until now.”
“Greater Fort Wayne Inc. is thankful to Mike and his service to the Greater Fort Wayne Chamber of Commerce for nearly a decade,” said Ron Turpin, Chairman of the Board. “Mike is valued by staff and members alike and we wish him the best in the next chapter of his career.”
Bill Zielke has joined Greater Fort Wayne Inc. as interim COO. Zielke is formerly the President of GTE-North, Vice President and General Manager for Frontier Communications, and Vice President of Marketing for Do it Best Corp. Zielke brings a wealth of human resource, operations, membership, and marketing experience to Greater Fort Wayne Inc. that will prove valuable to defining the structure and strategy of the new organization.
“We are excited about the knowledge and experience that Bill brings to GFW,” said Becker. “His willingness to roll up his sleeves to help structure our organization will be of great value to us and to our investors that we do business with in our community.”
Mick McCollum who has served as interim President of the Fort Wayne – Allen County Economic Development Alliance since February 2012 and was also appointed interim COO of Greater Fort Wayne Inc. in June 2013 to assist with the early stages of the office co-location. McCollum will now act as interim Senior Vice President of Economic Development for Greater Fort Wayne Inc.
Replacements are being sought for the positions of Director of Downtown Development and Director of Airport Development for Greater Fort Wayne Inc. Interested parties should email inquiries and resumes to info@greaterfortwayneinc.com.
About Greater Fort Wayne Inc.
Greater Fort Wayne Inc. is the new organization that unifies the Fort Wayne-Allen County Economic Development Alliance and the Greater Fort Wayne Chamber of Commerce, serving as a single point of contact for economic growth in Greater Fort Wayne. Together, we’re growing a more prosperous, vibrant community in Greater Fort Wayne. To learn more about Greater Fort Wayne Inc., visit www.GreaterFortWayneInc.com.
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