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SMEGA Director Honored
Sharon Witt, executive director of the Southwestern Michigan Economic Growth Alliance, has been honored as one of two Economic Developers of the Year by the Michigan Economic Development Corp.
She and the other recipient, who works for the city of Madison Heights, were among 32 award recipients at the MEDC’s recent seventh annual Business Success Celebration in the capitol of Lansing.
Witt became director of the Greater Niles Economic Development Foundation in January 1997, which represented Niles city and Niles, Betrand, Milton and Howard townships.
It became SMEGA in August of that year with the addition of Buchanan city and township. Galien village and township and Three Oaks village and township joined last year. Witt is SMEGA’s only full-time employee; there are two part-timers.
Since 1997, the SMEGA staff also has served the Berrien County Manufacturers Association.
Specific accomplishments for which Witt was honored by the MEDC include $16.7 million in investment and 267 jobs created by businesses relocating to the area and one new business and $35.5 million in investment by existing businesses, retention of 1,024 jobs and creation of 334 jobs, all in the past two years.
In addition, since the creation of Betrand Crossing Technology Park in 1997, there has been $29 million in investment, creating 300 jobs and retaining 27 jobs.
At the same awards program, the city of Buchanan was one of 11 communities honored for having received a state Blueprints for Michigan’s Downtowns grants. The grants paid for development of master plans to revitalize the communities’ downtowns.
Herald Palladium, May 2005
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