Lynne Stein Benzion

Lynne is MCEDC’s Director of Economic Development, charged with helping businesses locate, grow and expand in the county. The life sciences are her main area of focus, and she has assisted companies at every stage including startups (On Demand Pharmaceuticals, Autonomous Therapeutics), emerging companies (Seraxis), commercial-stage businesses (REGENXBIO, Vigene Biosciences, Supernus) and global corporations (QIAGEN, Novavax). Her knowledge in life sciences and the local business community give her unmatched expertise.

She was the Vice President of Strategic Planning for the Business Development Board in Palm Beach County, Florida, where she was responsible for short-and long-term planning, special projects, and strategy development. Lynne served as Deputy Director for much of her ten years at Rockville Economic Development, Inc, (REDI). In addition to retention and redevelopment duties covering a wide range of industries, she orchestrated major conferences and was a public face of the organization, regularly tapped by media for her business expertise.

A graduate of the University of Virginia, she holds a Certified Economic Developer (CEcD) designation from the International Economic Development Council, earned by only 1,200 people nationwide. It indicates extensive experience and continuous education in the field. She is active on IEDC’s Higher Education Advisory Committee and as a CEcD mentor, and is also a graduate of Leadership Montgomery, Class of 2012.