GCEDC STAFF
Left to Right Back: Chris Suozzi, Mark Masse, Steve Hyde, Sue Cook
Left to Right Front: Rachael Tabelski, Lezlie Farrell, Penny Kennett, Elizabeth Martin
Steven G. Hyde, MBA
President and Chief Executive Officer
Genesee County Economic Development Center (GCEDC)
Genesee Gateway Local Development Corporation (GGLDC)
Steve Hyde is the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Genesee County Economic Development Center (GCEDC), a county-wide economic development / industrial development agency located in the “Batavia Micropolitan” Community of Genesee County in Upstate New York. The community has a population of 60,000 residents which interconnects both the Buffalo Niagara and Rochester Finger Lakes regions of Upstate NY. 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, IBM and NCR. Steve has leveraged his private sector experiences, along with his highly capable team, and focused his energies on driving significant economic development growth for his community. 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 led 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 6 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 4 out of the last 5 years.
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 including serving as a Vice Chairman of the Board of the New York State Economic Development Council (NYSEDC). He is also an elected member of the board of education for the Batavia City School District. Steve is married and resides in Batavia with his wife, JoAnn, and has two college aged children Robert and Carissa.
Mark Masse, CPA
Senior VP of Operations
Mark Masse is a graduate of LeRoy High School and Nazareth College of Rochester with a degree in accounting, and is a certified public accountant in New York State. Mark had been with Freed, Maxick & Battaglia for fifteen years before joining the Genesee County Economic Development Center. He specialized in small business issues that deal with corporations, subchapter S corporations, partnerships and individuals. Those issues range from the preparation of Federal and State income tax returns to compiled or reviewed financial statements. Mark also had extensive experience in low-income housing projects financed by HUD and the USDA, and auto dealerships. During his years in public accounting he has gained experience in a number of industries that include construction, manufacturing and agriculture.
Mark is a 2002 graduate of the Leadership Genesee program and is the past chair of its funding, steering and curriculum committees as well as being a member of many design teams. Mark has successfully completed Leadership Genesee’s advanced facilitation skills training as well as participated as one of the instructors. Mark is also on the Economic Development committee and the Public Market committee for the Downtown Business Improvement District in Batavia. Mark has served as past President and Treasurer of the board of directors for Genesee County CASA for Children, Inc. a not-for-profit entity. Mark's also has volunteered with the United Way, Junior Achievement, American Red Cross, and YWCA.
Chris Suozzi
Vice President of Business Development
Christopher J. Suozzi has worked for GCEDC for over three years. Chris came to the Agancy with 20 years professional and corporate experience in supply chain with world class companies including; 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. Currently Chris serves on the Genesee Community College's Business School Advisory Board, is a member of the Genesee County Chamber of Commerce Board, and volunteers as a planning member for the Town of Batavia Sports Park Committee. Chris is involved in local youth sports activities as well. He lives in Batavia with his wife Lisa and their three children.
Lezlie A. Farrell, CPA
Chief Financial Officer
Lezlie Farrell is a graduate of LeRoy High School and SUNY Fredonia with a Bachelor’s degree in accounting. She is also a Certified Public Accountant in New York State. Before joining the Genesee County Economic Development Center, Lezlie spent six years working in public accounting. She specialized in audits and internal control reviews of government and not-for-profit entities, with extensive experience performing Single Audits. Lezlie’s experience also includes preparation of individual, partnership and corporate tax returns. Lezlie is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the New York State Society of Public Accountants. She has volunteered for several tax seasons with VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance).
Rachael J. Tabelski, MPA
Marketing & Communications Manager
Rachael Millspaugh joined the GCEDC in September of 2010 as the Marketing & Communications Manager. She serves as a board member with the Tonawanda Federal Credit Union, a member of the Bergen Business & Civic Organization and a volunteer with Genesee Cancer Assistance. Rachael spent three years working for New York State Assemblyman Steve Hawley and three years as a Town of Bergen Councilwoman. She attended and graduated from Leadership Genesee in the class of 2009 and remains active on the marketing committee and Agriculture Day design team. Rachael is a graduate of SUNY Canton class of 2005 with a bachelor’s in Public Safety and Criminal Justice and graduated in 2008 from SUNY Brockport with her Masters Degree in Public Administration.
Penny Kennett
Office Manager
Penny has been with the Genesee County Economic Development Center since July of 2004 and is responsible for general administration and book keeping of all of our companies. Penny received an associate’s degree in accounting from Genesee Community College and has taken additional accounting classes at Brockport College. Prior to the GCEDC Penny worked as an accounting assistant doing inventory control, accounts payable and accounts receivable. She and her husband Bill reside in Byron with their two children, Liana and Will.
Suzanne M. Cook
Human Resources and Compliance Officer
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.