Mike Jacoby is a seasoned economic development professional with over 25 years of experience in the field. He has worked at the state, local, and regional levels. His understanding of both private business and public sector economics, and his sensitivity to the interests of entrepreneurs and emerging growth companies, places him in a position to manage resources necessary to retain and help grow existing businesses, attract new businesses to the area, and coordinate private and public economic development programs of mutual benefit.

At Mike's previous role he led the Ohio Southeast Economic Development (OhioSE) team in supporting companies in a 25-county region of over 1 million in population. Under Mike's leadership, the team successfully undertook expansion and attraction projects that created over 5,800 jobs. Additionally, he worked closely with JobsOhio, the state's private economic development corporation, as the JobsOhio Network Partner for southern and eastern Ohio. He actively engaged with business, government, and economic development leaders across the region and the state, representing southeastern Ohio and leading site development, workforce, and planning initiatives.

Mike specializes in creative problem-solving to get deals done, grant writing, communications, marketing, real estate development, incentives, and team building. His ability to build consensus while balancing the interests of multiple constituencies has proven his prowess as a first-class leader in his field.

Education

Graduate, Ohio University, Athens, Ohio, 1994

Graduate, Bachelor of Arts, Kent State University, Kent, Ohio, 1991

Master of Public Administration, Specialization: Policy & Fiscal Analysis

Bachelor of Arts in Newspaper Journalism, Minor in Political Science

Professional Activities

Certified Economic Developer (CEcD) – International Economic Development Council

Certified Economic Development Finance Professional - National Development Council

Economic Development Institute graduate, Oklahoma University, IEDC/AEDC accredited

Past President, Ohio Economic Development Association, 2010

News

Resource Centers

Blog Posts

Speaking Engagements

Publications

Additional Items

• Co-Speaker, “Planning, Funding, and Building Your Community Initiatives: How to Access and Manage $2.4B in New State Funds,” OCMA Annual Conference (February 2024)
• Co-Speaker, "Tools for Housing Development," RGP Northwest/JobsOhio (March 2024)
• Co-Speaker, "Hot Topics: IRA & Housing Teaser," OAPT (April 2024)
• Co-Speaker, “Housing Development: The Challengers, Programs, and Tools in the Toolbox,” OMAA Summer Summit (July 2024)
• Co-Speaker, “What’s More Exciting than Return on Investment Analyses & Compliance in Public Incentives? Not a Damn Thing!” OEDA Annual Summit (September 2024)