FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MEDIA CONTACT:
Sue Casel, Administrative Assistant
County of Chautauqua Industrial Development Agency
CaselS@co.chautauqua.ny.us
716-661-8903 (office)
GEISE IS NEW CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER OF THE CCIDA
JAMESTOWN/DUNKIRK, N.Y. (March 8, 2018): The County of Chautauqua Industrial Development Agency (CCIDA) unanimously confirmed the appointment of Mark Geise as its Chief Executive Officer at their February 27th Board Meeting. In this role, Geise will also serve ex-officio as the CEO of the Chautauqua Region Economic Development Corporation (CREDC). In addition, upon confirmation by the Chautauqua County Legislature in March, Mr. Geise will assume the position of Deputy County Executive for Economic Development, and will oversee the County’s economic development initiatives.
Mr. Geise brings nearly 3 decades of public and private sector business and economic development-related experience to his new position. Mark earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Environmental Design and a Master’s Degree in Urban Planning from the University at Buffalo, and started his career in 1990 as Director of Development for the City of Dunkirk where he served for 2 years. For over a decade following this experience, Mark worked in the glass manufacturing sector, concluding his foray in this field as Plant Manager for ACA Reflective Glass products in Dunkirk. From 2002 through 2009, Mr. Geise was employed as a Senior Planner for Ecology & Environment in Lancaster, NY, an international environmental engineering firm, where he worked as a land-use planner and marketing liaison for Middle East operations. In 2009, Mark was appointed to the position of Deputy Director of Planning & Economic Development for Chautauqua County, where he worked until 2016. After a one-year stint with Jamestown Renaissance Corporation as a Senior Planner, Mr. Geise was appointed as Director of Economic Development for the County of Monroe, where he has served for the last 18 months.
Over the course of his career, Mr. Geise has been successful in a wide variety of economic development-related projects and initiatives. These include developing new programs, processes and procedures for the County of Monroe Industrial Development Agency; founding the Chautauqua County Land Bank Corporation and serving as its original Executive Director; Project Manager for the award-winning Chautauqua County Comprehensive Plan completed and adopted by the legislature in 2011; Project Manager for the ongoing Chautauqua County Equestrian Trail initiative in Cherry Creek; Project Manager for the Chautauqua Lake Macrophyte Management Strategy; Member of the Downtown Revitalization Initiative Team that secured $10 Million of state funds for economic development projects in Jamestown; member of the Western New York Regional Economic Development (REDC) Smart Growth Committee; and member of the Chautauqua County Industrial Development Agency from 2009 through 2016 (to name a few). Mr. Geise has also been instrumental in securing countless grants through state and regional funding sources for a wide variety of projects in Chautauqua County and elsewhere, and has been the project manager for a number of award-winning planning projects.
Mark lives with his wife Katie in Fredonia, and has three grown children; Mark, Aidan, and Keely. “I couldn’t be more excited and grateful about returning to Chautauqua County to apply my energy, experience, and skills to continue building on the good work that is already underway here,” Mark stated. “I feel fortunate to possess the appropriate experience and skillsets to help fulfil the mission of the County of Chautauqua Industrial Development Agency, as well as County Executive Borrello’s progressive vision for business and economic development. I owe a debt of gratitude to the terrific leadership team in Monroe County, who afforded me an opportunity to further hone my economic development skills over the past 18 months with one of the most successful IDAs in the State” he said. “We need to keep the momentum going in Chautauqua County, while improving the way we deliver our services. We can ill-afford to be reactive in this day and age, nor can we continue to operate in our individual silos, as the competition for private sector investment amongst competing interests continues to increase and as we fall prey to the whims of the regional, state and national economies,” Mr. Geise iterated. “We need to be smart, and aggressive, as we assist existing businesses and attract new ones that can capitalize on our physical and intellectual assets,” he said. “I’m thrilled to again be working with the CCIDA Board and staff, and am grateful to the Board for unanimously approving my appointment. I won’t let them, the public, or County Executive Borrello down,” he said.
Mr. Geise started in his new position on Monday, March 5th.
Any comments or questions regarding this announcement should be addressed to Sue Casel, Administrative Assistant at CaselS@co.chautauqua.ny.us
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