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Barry G. Broome Barry G. Broome is president and CEO of the Greater Phoenix Economic Council (GPEC). With over 17 years experience in economic development, he is shaping GPEC to become the leading economic development organization in the nation by 2010. Broome's avant-garde approach to building an economy will transform Greater Phoenix into a world-renowned region of excellence. Under Broome's leadership, GPEC and Greater Phoenix have achieved notable wins, including the launch of a statewide international program to attract foreign investment; the commission of a fact-based analysis that led to the enactment of 80% sales factor enabling Arizona to better compete for multi-state corporations; and the initiation of the Community Building Consortium--led by real estate development professionals to accelerate responsible development through product, planning and process. Prior to joining GPEC, Broome spent five years as founder and CEO of Southwest Michigan First (SMF), mobilizing large company expansions, relocations and venture capital funds. In 2001, he was named Michigan's Economic Developer of the Year, and three years later, SMF was named one of the Top 20 Economic Development Organizations by Site Selection magazine. He managed an angel network that invested more than $10 million in early stage venture capital for life science start-ups and advanced 14 life science start-ups through Southwest Michigan Innovation Center, a facility founded by Broome, dedicated to developing technology-based ventures. In addition to launching 23 new ventures, four of which evolved into venture funds, Broome oversaw a Contract Research Organization (CRO) network focused on drug development. In partnership with Western Michigan University, Broome and SMF negotiated a $100 million technology divestment with Pharmacia Corporation and developed a plan to carve out service models from Pfizer, which included $30 million in investment and $16 million in equipment. As Director of Economic Development for the City of Toledo, he drove the growth and expansion of industrial and medical research parks, waterfront and downtown developments, and was part of Project Jeep Team-the largest city-level industrial expansion project in the United States, creating $1.2 billion in capital investment and more than 5,000 jobs. He is an invited guest lecturer at institutions such as University of Notre Dame, Northwestern University, University of Chicago, Western Michigan University and Kalamazoo College, speaking topically on the subjects of innovation, economic development and leadership.
Broome chaired the Economic Development Subcommittee for the City of
Phoenix 2006 Bond program and sits on several boards and commissions,
including the City of Phoenix Commission on the Economy, ASU Economic
Council, ASU Technopolis Advisory Board, Maricopa Partnership for Arts and
Culture, Arizona Association for Economic Development (AAED), the Arizona
Economic Resources Organization (AERO) and Salt River Devco Board. Broome
served as Host Committee Chair for the 2007 International Economic
Development Council (IEDC) Annual Conference. |
