HOLLAND, MI (WHTC) - One of the leading figures in the Holland area’s economic growth is heading for a new challenge.
Randy Thelen, named 10 years ago as the first president of Lakeshore Advantage, has resigned to become senior vice president of economic development with the Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce in Nebraska. During the past decade, Lakeshore Advantage has emerged as a leading force in bringing over two billion dollars in new investment to the Holland/Zeeland area, including the Michigan State University Bioeconomy Institute on Holland’s North Side and two lithium-ion battery-making plants in Holland, creating more than 10 thousand jobs in the process.
His resignation comes a week after the announced merger of Lakeshore Advantage with the Ottawa County Economic Development Office. Bruce Adair was named interim president with Thelen’s departure; he has been the agency’s vice president of business services.