Louisville, Ky. (February 8, 2022) – Greater Louisville Inc. has added two new staff members to its team of talented professionals. Dean Schlader joins GLI as vice president of business outreach and investor development. Clark Welch joins the chamber as director of economic development research and industry networks.

In his newly created role, which oversees GLI’s existing investor development and industry networks teams, Schlader will manage top investor accounts and guide the strategy for GLI’s industry networks: the Health Enterprises Network, the Advanced Manufacturing and Logistics Network, and TechFirst. Schlader has more than 30 years of experience in a variety of industries, giving him a unique ability to connect with GLI’s diverse membership. Schlader has worked for top local and national companies including Mattingly Ford Title Services, Fleetcor (SVS), John Conti Coffee Company, Shell Oil US, and Thorntons.   Schlader is a graduate of Bellarmine University earning both his B.S. and M.B.A. degrees.

Welch will serve on GLI’s economic development team, leading research and data analysis to guide and inform business expansion, attraction, and retention efforts. In addition, he will also work closely with Schlader to execute strategies to grow the Advanced Manufacturing and Logistics and TechFirst Networks. Most recently, he worked for Jones Lang Lasalle (JLL) as a senior associate in commercial real estate. Prior to that he spent time working for both the International Economic Development Council and European Commission, giving him a breadth of experience in national and international economic growth strategies. He started his career working in economic development for the Louisville Downtown Partnership.

“We are thrilled to welcome Dean and Clark to our growing team of talented professionals. They both bring unique experience and a high caliber of professional skills to our organization that will allow us to grow our reach within the business community while also increasing economic investment in our region,” said Sarah Davasher-Wisdom, president and CEO, of Greater Louisville Inc.

Schlader will serve on GLI’s senior leadership team, guiding decisions and strategy for the organization, and will report to newly promoted chief operating officer and executive vice president, Rebecca Wood. Wood joined GLI in 2016 on the investor development team and has continually grown her roles and responsibilities. In 2020 she was promoted to chief operating officer and vice president of investor development, where she led fundraising efforts that raised over $4 million for GLI’s NOW Louisville capital campaign. With Schlader’s hire, Wood will take on additional executive leadership responsibilities while continuing oversight of all GLI investors throughout the transition and maintaining oversight of capital campaign fundraising.

“As the regional chamber of commerce, we meet with hundreds of businesses every month to discuss their needs, concerns, and opportunities for growth. I am confident that both Dean and Clark will streamline our processes and strengthen our team’s diverse skillset to maximize our potential for economic growth,” said Wood.

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About Greater Louisville Inc.

Greater Louisville Inc. - the Metro Chamber of Commerce is focused on growing the regional economy. As the region’s largest convener of business leadership, GLI leads economic and global outreach strategies focused on business attraction; nurtures the entrepreneurial eco-system; and champions the development of the community’s talent base.  As the voice of Greater Louisville’s business community, GLI advocates for a pro-business environment and facilitates businesses engagement on issues that impact regional competitiveness.  For more information, visit www.greaterlouisville.com.