The Genesee County Economic Development Center (GCEDC) Board of Directors has selected Mark Masse, the GCEDC’s Senior Vice President of Operations, as the organization’s next President and CEO, the agency announced on its social media site Wednesday.
The just-announced appointment was unanimously approved at the GCEDC’s May 2 board meeting. Masse will succeed Steve Hyde, who announced in April that he is retiring on August 1 after over 21 years and over 500 projects during his tenure as President and CEO.
“Mark’s leadership alongside Steve has produced a period of unprecedented investment and growth, and he was the clear choice to lead the GCEDC into the future,” said GCEDC Board Chair Pete Zeliff. “We are impressed with Mark’s capability to both guide a seamless transition as we accomplish the projects currently under development and to pursue a vision for the future growth of Genesee County.”
Since joining the GCEDC in 2010, Masse has provided leadership and direct project management, working with the organization’s civil engineering firm and finance staff, leading the way in the development, infrastructure deployment, financing, and management of the organization’s portfolio of real estate assets.
He has been responsible for the permitting, engineering, and infrastructure deployment at the STAMP mega-site in the Town of Alabama, including projects that are investing $1 billion between the renewables manufacturing and semiconductor industries and a 600-megawatt 345kV-to-115kV substation.
“Mark is more than ready to take the reins of leadership at the GCEDC,” said Hyde. “As he has demonstrated with developments large and small, Mark has the talent, experience, and readiness to lead our organization during a critical time. Private and public investment is at an all-time high as the GCEDC, Genesee County, and New York State build a semiconductor and advanced manufacturing economy.”
Masse graduated from Nazareth University of Rochester with an accounting degree. He is a certified public accountant licensed in New York State and had 15 years of experience at Freed, Maxick & Battaglia prior to his tenure at the GCEDC. He is a 2002 graduate of the Leadership Genesee program and a 2012 Buffalo Business First Forty Under Forty award winner.
Masse has also served on the Economic Development Committee and the Public Market Committee for the Downtown Business Improvement District in Batavia, as well as serving as a Board Member for the Batavia Development Corporation.
“I want to thank the board for this opportunity, and I look forward to continuing the historic economic development advancements made by Genesee County under Steve with the support of the members of the GCEDC team,” said Masse.
