Economic Development Contacts

Jeff Edge, CEcD
Senior Vice President, Economic Development
Phone: 704-378-1307
Email: jedge@charlottechamber.com

LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreyedge

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Jeff Edge heads up the economic development team at the Charlotte Chamber of Commerce. They were named as one of the Top Ten Economic Development Groups in the nation by Site Selection magazine for their work in 2009 and 2010. In 2006 the department created the award-winning BusinessFirst Charlotte retention and expansion program in partnership with the City of Charlotte.

Edge’s primary focus is on the recruitment of corporate headquarters as well as manufacturing operations. His specialties for recruitment include the motorsports, energy and financial service industries. Several of the higher profile companies that Edge has assisted with locations in Charlotte include Carrier Corporation, General Motors, SPEED Channel, Tessera Technologies, IKEA, Prairie Packaging, Shutterfly, The Shaw Group, Siemens Energy, Time Warner Cable, and the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

Kati Hynes
Vice President, Economic Development
Phone: 704-378-1371  
Email: khynes@charlottechamber.com

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Kati Hynes joined the Charlotte Chamber in April of 2000 as director of economic development. She was promoted to vice president in 2005. Prior to joining the chamber, Hynes served in various roles at Browning Ferris Industries, MGM/UA Movie Production, Mattel, Inc. (Mattel Toys) and the Carolina Panthers.

Hynes’ twelve years of economic development experience have enhanced her work on all types of projects. Her current primary industry focuses are financial services, energy, data centers and corporate headquarters. Companies that Hynes has worked with over the years include: Charlotte School of Law, LPL Financial, Kellogg’s Snacks, Celgard, Maersk Line, SPEED TV, US Airways, Westinghouse, Toshiba, GMAC, Citco Fund Services, Capgemini, American Red Cross, BAE Systems, Connextions, Compass Group, SPX and Chiquita.

Eileen Cai
Vice President, Economic Development / Asian sector
Phone: 704-378-1316
Email: ecai@charlottechamber.com

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LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/eileencai

Eileen Cai joined the economic development staff to help expand the Chamber’s international reach to China and other parts of Asia.

Cai is involved in the recruitment of all sizes and types of business to Charlotte. She has travelled to China on recruitment trips with North Carolina Governor Bev Perdue and Charlotte’s Mayor, Anthony Foxx. Several of the higher profile companies that Eileen has assisted include Time Warner Cable, Mitsubishi (MNES), Combi, Greenspring Energy, Jetion Solar, Yu Consulting and Zenta.

She earned a B.S. in Accounting and Business Administration from State University of New York. Her professional experience includes accounting, hospitality management and real estate development.

Prior to joining the Chamber Eileen lived in China, Switzerland, New York and Virginia. She is fluent in English and Mandarin Chinese.

Sven Gerzer
Vice President Economic Development / Eurpoean sector
Phone: 704-378-1310
Email (after Sept. 1): sgerzer@charlottechamber.com

LinkedIn: http://de.linkedin.com/in/sgerzer

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Sven Gerzer joined the Charlotte Chamber Sept. 1, 2012. Before joining the chamber, Gerzer held the post of director of the State of West Virginia European Office in Munich, Germany. He has worked in economic development for nearly ten years. He also served as vice president of the Council of American States in Europe, representing the interests of all American states in Europe with national, regional and local governments as well as industry associations.

Gerzer is a native of Munich and holds a B.A. and an M.A. in International Studies from the University of South Carolina. He is bilingual in German and English.

Andrea Ware
Director, Economic Development Marketing
Phone: 704-378-1315
Email: aware@charlottechamber.com

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Andrea Ware joined the economic development staff in 2008 to extend the chamber’s economic development marketing reach. She supports the economic development and research departments by creating materials and campaigns for economic development outreach, and by maintaining the economic development portion of the chamber’s web site and social media channels.

Prior to joining the chamber, Ware worked at The Charlotte Observer for 14 years as art director in New Ventures and Targeted Publications. She earned a B.A. in Communication Arts and a B.A. in English from East Carolina University. Ware is a graduate of the Basic Economic Development Course from the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill School of Government. She also is a D.M.A.-certified marketing professional and has completed the I.E.D.C. Marketing and Attraction course. She is on the marketing and communication committee for Envision Charlotte.