Bob Trezise

Bob Trezise has been President and CEO of the Lansing Economic Area Partnership (LEAP) since November 2011.  LEAP is a private/public 501 © 6 representing Metro Lansing (Ingham, Eaton and Clinton counties). In 2021, LEAP was named one of the nation’s Top 20 economic development organizations by Site Selection magazine. Since Bob’s tenure, LEAP projects have helped the private sector create over 10,000 direct jobs, ranging from Fortune 500 corporate headquarters, manufacturing plants, mixed use community development urban buildings to new high-tech firms. Total project value is $7.2 billion. During the pandemic, LEAP administered over $21 million in small business grants for the Lansing region, including equitable methodologies created by LEAP. LEAP has also created nationally recognized and numerous entrepreneurial programs, including the 2021 IEDC Gold award winner One&All program. In total, LEAP has won Silver or Gold awards a half a dozen times. 

In 2022, Bob was named Outstanding National Alum of the Year by Western Michigan’s University’s Graduate School of Public Affairs and a Top 50 Economic Developer in North America by Consultant Connect. In 2011, Bob was also named by the Michigan Economic Developers Association (MEDA) as the state’s Top Economic Development Professional and received MEDA’s President’s Award. 

During Bob’s tenure with LEAP, special initiatives include the region’s first ever Childcare Coalition, a Place Making program that has placed scores of permanent outdoor strategically located pieces of art totaling a value of $400,000, co-created and fund the Lansing Poet Laureate program, created the Small Town Enhancement program, administered multi-million dollar levels of small business development programs and a place making grants. 

Bob was also a co-founder of the Economic Development Leaders for Michigan (EDLM) statewide group. 

Prior to LEAP, Bob served as President and CEO of the Lansing Economic Development Corporation (LEDC), as well as manager of both the Tax Increment Finance Authority (TIFA) and the Lansing Brownfield Redevelopment Authority (LBRA). Bob re-organized the LEDC into a dynamic organization, resulting in 50-year historic achievements for the city in economic development, helping the private sector create over 7,000 jobs, rehab scores of abandoned buildings including the long vacant Power Station plant in downtown on the riverfront into the new national corporate headquarters for Accident Fund, all totaling over $2 billion in private investment in the city.  During this time, Bob also became the interim manager for the Principal Shopping District and reorganized this agency into a Main Street organization. 

In 2001, Bob was hired by Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC). During his tenure with the MEDC where he established the state’s first downtown/community development department called the Community Assistance Team (CATeam). This team created strategic economic development plans for communities & downtowns, and also packaged urban tools and incentives, especially the Brownfield program, for specific city and urban projects. Bob and his team worked on projects from the biggest in downtowns Detroit or Grand Rapids, to small ones in the cities of Traverse City or Marquette.  Bob also created and operated the Michigan Main Street program and the BluePrints for Michigan’s Downtowns. 

 Before that, Bob spent two years as the Vice President for the Lansing Regional Chamber of Commerce, running their privately funded economic development and marketing program called Capital Choice. This program represented the Ingham, Eaton and Clinton County region. During this tenure, Bob played a leadership role with the Retain GM Quick Response Team (two new GM assembly plants were built as part of this team effort) and created the Capital Area Response Team (CARTeam), designed to accommodate GM and future suppliers locating to the region. 

Bob started his career with Delta Township, a major township to the immediate west of Lansing, starting and operating their economic development program, landing many industrial plants. During that time Bob was recognized by the Lansing Chamber as the “Small Business Advocate of the Year” and was President of the Regional Economic Development Team (REDTeam). He also was recognized by the Lansing State Journal in 2000 as one of Lansing’s “100 People to Watch in the 21st Century”. 

 Bob and his wife of 34 years, Kerri, have raised four children in the Lansing area and he is also a published poet.