Mike Nicholas, who has served the Rockford Area Economic Development Council (RAEDC) for the past three years as the President, has decided to pursue opportunities in the manufacturing arena that more closely align with his interests and passions. Mike will not be departing until after the first of the year and will remain available to all stakeholders as a consultant for many months. We are grateful to Mike for his efforts over the past years and thankful that he shared his talent and time with us.
The RAEDC executive committee has been working on a leadership succession plan for Mike’s departure. Over the past months a number of candidates have been interviewed regarding leadership roles within the RAEDC and we have been fortunate to find a local candidate willing to step into the President’s role later this month.
We are pleased to welcome Nathan Bryant as the new RAEDC President and CEO effective January 9th.
We look forward to the next chapter for the RAEDC and graciously thank Mike Nicholas for his years of service to the organization and the community.
ABOUT NATHAN BRYANT
Nathan was most recently the President of Development for Spring Creek Development Group in which he was responsible for deal procurement, financial modeling, leasing, sales, marketing, acquisitions, municipal agreements, and overall management assistance.
Throughout his career, Nathan has transacted a variety of deals encompassing most every aspect of real estate and business. Nathan has successfully crafted over $100M of public / private partnerships in over 50 different communities involving complicated financial structures with critical delivery schedules.
As a licensed Professional Engineer and Real Estate Broker, Nathan brings a unique approach to every aspect of business with a focus on data driven decisions. During his professional career, Nathan has developed real estate for many of the top Fortune 50 companies including Wal-Mart, CVS Pharmacy, Walgreens, Target, Home Depot, and Lowes.
Nathan graduated from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale with a Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Engineering and then licensed as a Professional Engineer in 2001. Nathan has been licensed as a Real Estate Managing Broker since 2000, is a member of the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC), and credentialed as a Certified Commercial Investment Member (CCIM). He is a proud father to his 3 daughters Grace, Hazel, and Lydia.
ABOUT THE RAEDC
The role of the Rockford Area Economic Development Council (RAEDC) is to collaborate with regional stakeholders to cultivate opportunities for primary job growth that increase the economic well-being of our region. The RAEDC markets the region to attract new capital investment, while assisting existing business with resources for sustainable growth. The RAEDC works closely with many partners to improve the competitiveness of the region by taking what it learns from the region’s employers and engaging the community in the daily work of economic development. As the economic development organization for the region, the RAEDC also serves as the area’s data collection agency on all new capital investment, retained and created quality jobs, and renovated commercial/industrial space.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Sagar Patel
Chairman of the Board
815.639.5421
Michele Petrie
Vice Chair
815.961.7263
