Chesco economic development leader takes on another role
UWCHLAN » Michael Grigalonis, chief operating officer and executive vice president of the Chester County Economic Development Council, has taken on a new role working to enhance Pennsylvania’s economic development efforts.
Grigalonis has been named president of the board of directors for the Pennsylvania Economic Development Association (PEDA), an association of local, state, corporate and nonprofit economic development professionals. His appointment took effect Jan. 1, 2020.
The mission of the 300-member Pennsylvania Economic Development Association is to “promote sound economic development policies, provide leading-edge economic development education, and nurture an effective statewide economic development network to foster the economic growth of the Commonwealth,” according to a press release.
“My role as president in my view is to be working for the members and making sure they see value from the organization. I wanted to focus on adding value to membership,” Grigalonis said in a recent telephone interview.
As president of the board, Grigalonis will oversee board meetings, executive committee calls and will serve as host of two conferences the association offers.
“At PEDA, I will be working closely with the executive committee and the executive director to guide the direction of the organization,” he said. “We will dig into some organizational issues and try to make the appropriate strategic decisions on policies we’re going to implement or change.”
On behalf of the organization, for example, Grigalonis will meet with the leadership of the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development and members of the state legislature who serve on economic development committees. He will also serve on the board of the Team Pennsylvania Foundation, a nonpartisan nonprofit that helps connect private and public sector leaders to achieve and sustain progress for Pennsylvania, according to a press release.
“I will be more active in Harrisburg, and I will serve as a spokesperson on behalf of PEDA,” he said.
Grigalonis added that the organization has done a “great job” over the years with networking and offering seminars and conferences. He sees another area in which the organization can focus attention — advocacy — an area he sees as a priority.
“Taking a more active role in supporting initiatives or talking about the challenges that may exist with ideas, and being more active from an advocacy perspective to see if we can get tools in place as economic developers,” he said.
While Grigalonis couldn’t talk about specific initiatives at this point, he explained that the association is in the midst of identifying seven or eight potential issues, before narrowing the list to about three or four issues.
Grigalonis joined the board of directors for the Pennsylvania Economic Development Association about four years ago, and was then asked to serve as treasurer of the board, before being asked to take on a two-year term as president of the organization.
In his role as chief operating officer of the Chester County Economic Development Council — a position he has held since 2004 — Grigalonis is responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operations of the council’s $3 million operating budget and 35 staff members. He serves as the organization’s primary liaison with the executive committee and board of directors, comprised of the top business leaders in Chester County.
He will continue in his role with the Chester County Economic Development Council while serving as president of the board of the Pennsylvania Economic Development Association.
Grigalonis said the knowledge he is gaining and the contacts he’s making in his new role are “positive experiences that will benefit our organization.” At the top of the list, he added, is the sharing of ideas.