Sitting from left to right: Suzanne Cook, Steven Hyde and Penny Kennett
Standing from left to right: Chad Zambito, Steven Lockwood and Chris Suozzi
As the Chief Executive Officer, Steve is responsible for the overall operations of the EDC. Steve has had extensive private sector experience in sales, marketing, business development, finance and management focused on building and growing enterprises in the Life Sciences / Medical Technology and Information Technology arenas. Notable positions include Vice President of Business Development for ResMed Corporation (a publicly traded Medical Device Manufacturer), Executive Vice President of Business Development for NetSetGo (an I.T. Services firm) as well as several management positions in Strategy, Marketing, Finance and Mergers & Acquisitions at Xerox. Starting with a growth oriented strategic plan first developed in 2003 – Steve's organization has focused on galvanizing the community towards a growth-oriented mindset. He has facilitated the formation of strong public / private partnerships during his tenure which has fostered a community partnership approach to technology driven economic development which has enabled economic growth and success community-wide. These efforts have enabled the Batavia Micropolitan Area (Genesee County) to be ranked in the top 10 nationally the last 5 years as one of the fastest growing Micropolitan Communities in the United States as ranked by Site Selection Magazine. The Genesee County Economic Development Center and the Batavia Micropolitan Area have achieved the designation as #1 fastest growing Micropolitan Community in the Northeast the last 4 years running. Steve earned his Associates degree in business from Genesee Community College; holds his Bachelors degree in applied economics and business management from Cornell University and earned his MBA, with a concentration in finance, from the Rochester Institute of Technology. He sits on several boards including numerous economic development and workforce development oriented entities.
Christopher J. Suozzi is a Senior Vice President Business Development. He has over 20 years professional and corporate experience in Supply Chain with world class companies; United Parcel Service, American Tourister/Samsonite, Alberto Culver, Rich Products and Rosina Food Products. Chris holds an AS from Genesee Community College, BS in Industrial Engineering from Alfred University and a MBA from Jacksonville University.
Steve Lockwood is the Vice President of Product Management for the Genesee County Economic Development Center and also the Empire Zone Coordinator for Genesee County. His responsibilities include managing and administering Genesee County's Empire Zone and GCEDC's Revolving Loan Funds and assisting on all grant applications. Prior to the GCEDC, Steve spent 7 years as the Chief Financial Officer for The Bank of Castile where he helped the bank grow to 11 branch offices and 150 employees. Steve is currently the Director of both Genesee County United Way and the Kiwanis Club of Batavia and is a member of the Genesee County Business Development Committee and Leadership Genesee.
Chad joined the GCEDC in August of 2007 as the VP of Marketing and Community Development. He is a member of the GLOW Regional Workforce Investment Board and a member of the Chamber of Commerce's Agricultural Committee. Chad spent 3 years as the Marketing Manger at Batavia Downs Gaming and served 4 years as a Town of Batavia Councilman. He also spent time at Darien Lake and at WBTA, WRMM and WCMF.
Suzanne Cook has been with the Genesee County Economic Development Center since its origination in 1980. Besides being the main source of answers for all questions, her responsibilities include managing the administration, financial and compliance operations of the Center as well as acting as a liaison to GCEDC counsel on various governance issues, lease, bond, and real estate transactions.
Penny has been with the Genesee County Economic Development Center since July of 2004 and is responsible for daily operations, administrative support, accounts payable, accounts receivable, and customer service. Penny received an associate's degree in accounting from Genesee Community College and has previous experience as an accounting assistant doing inventory control, accounts payable and accounts receivable.
