Christina Frank Named North America's Top 50 Economic Developers of 2022

Christina Frank Named North America's 

Top 50 Economic Developers of 2022

Christina Frank, Vice President of External Affairs at Cornerstone Alliance, has been named one of Top 50 North America's Economic Developers of 2022 by Consultant Connect. The economic development professionals selected for this list were nominated by their colleagues in both the economic development and site location consulting industries for excellent practices, innovation and success in building the communities they serve. 

“This award is recognition of the successful projects Christina has led over the last year, and the tremendous professional growth she has achieved by earning the Certified Economic Developer (CEcD) certification,” said Rob Cleveland, President & CEO of Cornerstone Alliance. “Christina looks at every development as if it is achievable, and she brings a thoughtful approach to making Berrien County a place where people can find better jobs and a better place to live. In the last year alone, her execution of ideas have led to more people living in Berrien County, as well as dramatically raising the profile of Southwest Michigan with site consultants and real estate executives nationwide. Consultant Connect is the undisputed leader in its field, and to be recognized as one of the Top 50 Economic Developers in North America is a great honor for Christina and Cornerstone Alliance.”

Each Top 50 Economic Developer will be featured individually starting May 9 through the selected social media channels of Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter, where each award recipient will have the opportunity to share industry knowledge, leadership insights and career wisdoms with fellow industry professionals. Consultant Connect strives to lift up the economic development industry by recognizing remarkable economic developers. Recipients will be presented their award at Consultant Connect’s ECONOMIX event in Columbus, OH this December.

“Releasing the Top 50 list is one of Consultant Connect’s favorite times of the year because we are so passionate about recognizing economic development leaders’ transformative work. This year’s group faced hurdles unlike any other Top 50 group has seen over the past year, and we are honored to provide a platform for them to be recognized for the passionate commitment they’ve made to their communities,” said Carla Sones, managing director of Consultant Connect. This annual list recognizing North America’s Top 50 Economic Developers is designed to acknowledge top leaders in this field and elevate the conversation around economic development and job creation.

The complete list of North America's Top 50 Economic Developers of 2022 includes:

Ashley Gossen, greater:SATX

Audrey Polk, Greater Richmond Partnership

Barbra Coffee, City of Tucson Office of Economic Initiatives

Beth Bowman, Irving-Las Colinas Chamber of Commerce

Brian Anderson, Wabash Valley Power Alliance

Bryan Brackemyre, Indiana Municipal Power Agency

Bryan Daniels, Blount Partnership

Cal Wray, Development Authority of Augusta, Georgia

Christina Frank, Cornerstone Alliance

Courtney Pogue, Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County

Craig Richard, Tampa Bay Economic Development Council

Danielle Casey, Albuquerque Regional Economic Alliance

Deb Scherer, One Columbus

Dorie Bacon, Screven County Development Authority

Doug Coffey, Georgia Power Economic Development

Elli Bowen, Kansas City Area Development Council / KC SmartPort

Gregg Simon, Metro Atlanta Chamber

Holly Schroeder, Santa Clarita Valley Economic Development Corporation

Jack Johns, Macomb County Department of Planning and Economic Development

Jared Smith, Las Vegas Global Economic Alliance

Jason Giulietti, Greater San Marcos Partnership

Jennifer Owens, Lakeshore Advantage

Jill McCarthy, Kansas City Area Development Council

Jim Staton, The AES Corporation

Joe Raso, Greater Fargo Moorhead Economic Development Corporation

John Truluck, Dorchester County Economic Development

Kathleen Henry, Wake County Economic Development

Kelly Patton, Arizona Public Service (APS)

Kevin Shatley, Dallas Regional Chamber

Larkin Simpson, Louisiana Central

Laura Lea Palmer, Conroe Economic Development Council

Michael Keoshkerian, Toronto Global

Misty Mayo, Development Corporation of Abilene

Molly Howey, GO Topeka

Nelson Lindsay, Central SC Alliance (CSCA)

Nicole Ryf, Hampton Roads Alliance

Peter Denious, AdvanceCT

Peter Frosch, GREATER MSP

Peter Tokar III, McKinney Economic Development Corporation

Ray Dunlap, Terrell Economic Development Corporation

Rebecca Gries, Milwaukee 7

Richard Cornelison, OG&E

Robert Long, Chester County Economic Development

Rob Sitterley, Arkansas-Texas Regional Economic Development Inc. (AR-TX REDI)

Rodrick Miller, Invest Puerto Rico

Ryan Regan, Greater Durham Chamber of Commerce

Scott Powell, Greater Sacramento Economic Council

Stacy Lester, Mississippi Power

Tim Giuliani, Orlando Economic Partnership

Wade Williams, REDI Cincinnati

About Consultant Connect:

Consultant Connect works to bridge theeducational services and leadership development. Consultant Connect not only gives economic developers an inside look into the world of site selection – it gives them the applicable information necessary to propel their careers and communities forward. For more information, please visit www.consultantconnect.org.

About Cornerstone Alliance:

Cornerstone Alliance is a non-profit, investor-governed economic development organization. Our focus is to increase employment opportunities, private sector capital investments and the local tax base in Michigan's Great Southwest. We offer specialized business services particularly in economically distressed areas.