Jonas Peterson

Jonas Peterson began their career as the Economic Development Director/Deputy Director at Mohave County in 2005. Jonas then served as the President and CEO of the Santa Clarita Valley Economic Development Corporation from 2010 to 2013. In 2013, they joined the Las Vegas Global Economic Alliance as the Chief Operating Officer and later took on the roles of President & Chief Economic Development Officer from January to June 2015, and finally President & CEO from July 2015 to February 2022. Currently, Jonas Peterson is the CEO of Southwest Michigan First, starting from January 2022.

Jonas Peterson has a diverse education history, focusing primarily on community and economic development. Jonas holds a Master of Professional Studies (MPS) in Community and Economic Development from Penn State University. Additionally, they obtained a Graduate Certificate in the same field from the same institution.

Furthermore, Jonas completed a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree from North Dakota State University. Jonas also achieved a Bachelor of Science (BS) in Agricultural Economics from the same university.

Jonas has participated in various executive leadership programs, including the Executive Leadership Series Certificate from Harvard Kennedy School and the Executive Leadership Programme from Saïd Business School, University of Oxford. Jonas is also a Fellow in the Executive Program for Nonprofit Leaders at Stanford University Graduate School of Business.

In terms of additional certifications, Jonas holds a Certified Business Retention Consultant certification from Business Retention and Expansion International (BREI). Jonas is a Certified Economic Developer (CEcD) accredited by the International Economic Development Council (IEDC). Moreover, they have an Economic Development Institute Certification from Oklahoma University Economic Development Institute (OUEDI).

Jonas also obtained a Public Policy and Leadership Certificate from the University of Arizona, Eller College of Management.