The Economic Development Corp. of Elkhart County confirmed Friday that President and CEO Mark Dobson resigned on Dec. 27.
This story by Rasmus S. Jorgensen originally appeared in The Elkhart Truth.
According to the EDC, Dobson made the decision in order to pursue other options.
The EDC, according to information on its website, is known as the “concierge” to Elkhart County industry.
The organization works to retain and expand local business and to attract new businesses to the area. The EDC is funded with money from local governments, but the way in which that happens was under debate in the fall of 2018, as Elkhart Mayor Tim Neese suggested a change.
In that arrangement, money typically granted to the EDC would instead be allocated to the city’s Economic Development Department, which would pay the EDC a base fee and then additional amounts based on the number of new jobs created or other measures of performance.
Dobson did not like that idea and said the proposed arrangement was more like “fee for project won” than a “fee for services” contract. He called the change a “commission-based approach” to economic development.
Following Dobson’s departure, Vice President of Retention and Expansion Chris Stager has taken on the president and CEO responsibilities on an interim basis until a permanent replacement is found.
