Quentin Messer Jr.

As MEDC CEO and President and Chair of the Michigan Strategic Fund, Quentin L. Messer, Jr. is charged with implementing and executing MEDC’s core mission of business development and attraction, community development, providing access to capital and enhancing Michigan’s image and brand with a focus on building a strong and equitable economy for all Michiganders.

Immediately prior to his role as CEO of MEDC, Messer served as President and CEO of New Orleans Business Alliance (NOLABA) leading efforts around business attraction, small business growth, talent development, branding, and driving market-responsive, equitable economic growth for New Orleans residents.

As the assistant secretary at Louisiana Economic Development, Messer was designated President of the Louisiana Economic Development Corporation, helping to provide financial assistance to small and medium size businesses in partnership with the private sector and federal agencies including the U.S. Small Business Administration.

Messer’s private sector experience includes The Boston Consulting Group and O’Melveny & Myers LLP, as well as work at a variety of start-up ventures, including as a principal at Foster Chamberlain, LLC – a start-up venture accelerator and corporate venturing consultancy.

An IEDC certified economic developer (CEcD), Messer received a Bachelor of Arts from Princeton University, where he was a Princeton School of Public and International Affairs major and earned his Juris Doctorate and Master of Business Administration from Columbia University’s Law and Business Schools, respectively. He sits on the board of directors of the International Economic Development Council, where he serves on the board’s Committee for Public Conduct and also is the incoming Co-Chair of the Racism in Economic Development Committee.

Messer was named in Consultants Connect North America’s Top 50 Economic Developers in both 2019 and 2020.