News from Amy Clickner and Lake Superior Community Partnership, sharing the U.P. Perspective:

Lake Superior Community Partnership Announces Amy Clickner to Retire as CEO in 2021 LSCP Board of Directors launches successor search.Marquette, Mich., August 12, 2020 – The Lake Superior Community Partnership (LSCP) today announced that Amy Clickner, Chief Executive Officer since the organization’s inception in 1998, will retire from the LSCP next spring.

Clickner joined the LSCP nearly 23 years ago as the organization’s first employee and CEO. She was recruited to the post by several of Marquette County’s foremost community leaders, including Don Ryan, John Marshall, Mike Skytta, Tom Edmark, Phyllis Maki, and Monsignor Cappo when they created the LSCP to respond to the closure of K.I. Sawyer Airforce Base.

Clickner has propelled the LSCP into one of the U.P.’s premier economic development organizations, helping to generate billions of dollars in private investment and create thousands of jobs, while partnering with other regional economic development organizations. Today, the LSCP serves more than 3,900 employers throughout the region – assisting with workforce development, strategic planning, and leadership development.

“We are extremely grateful to Amy for her dedication to the LSCP for more than two decades and for being a relentless champion for the U.P. as a great place to invest and grow,” said Brett French, LSCP Board Chairman and Vice President of Business Development and Communications for Upper Peninsula Power Company. “Amy’s contributions to the economic well-being of our community will be everlasting.”

Over the years, the LSCP has intensified its efforts to preserve and grow investment in the U.P.’s natural resource sector, including mining, forestry, and tourism. The partnership has also targeted healthcare, higher education, small business, and entrepreneurs to diversify Marquette County’s economic base. As a result, Regional Wealth Indicators continue their positive trajectory.

Recognized among the best nationally, the LSCP holds Accredited Economic Development Organization (AEDO) certification from the International Economic Development Council (IEDC). The LSCP is one of only six AEDO certified economic development agencies in Michigan and just 66 nationwide.

“It has been an honor to be part of building the LSCP and helping others to make a positive impact on our community during a period that has seen great successes and challenges,” said Clickner. “The dedicated team at the LSCP is firstrate and I have been privileged to work alongside each one of them. Together, with the board of directors, our investors, partners, and the many business and civic leaders who care deeply about making our communities great places to live, we have accomplished so much. I appreciate everything the organization has meant to me personally and professionally, and the immense support I have received over the last two decades. I stand ready to do all that I can to ensure the smooth transition to our next CEO and future successes.”

“Amy and her team have created the model for economic development success and programs in the U.P. that many of us aspire to replicate,” said Marty Fittante, CEO of InvestUP. “Her tireless work ethic, competitive drive, leadership, commitment to teamwork, and vision combine to make Amy a powerful force for the good of Marquette County and all of the U.P. She deserves more credit than she’s often willing to accept for her support and impact in helping others achieve success for their communities.”

The impact of Clickner’s leadership extends throughout civic and philanthropic organizations to her roles within the professional economic development community.

“Amy has held important leadership roles in the economic development community at both state and national levels, where she has been recognized for demonstrated achievement and commitment to our profession’s highest and best values,” said Jeff Finkle, President and CEO of the International Economic Development Council (IEDC), the largest organization of economic development practitioners and professionals worldwide. “Her work ethic, leadership, and
willingness to mentor the next generation of economic development professionals speak to her dedication to the work we do in our field to improve upon our communities and grow prosperity. Amy is a force for good.”

Cleveland Cliffs, longstanding cornerstone of the U.P.’s economy, has remained invested in the region in large credit to the effective and persistent efforts made by the LSCP to protect local jobs. 

Lourenco Goncalves, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer said, “Amy has been an invaluable leader in the U.P. with her tireless efforts to create new opportunities for its residents and businesses. Her strong commitment to bringing together stakeholders for key issues and policy discussions has created a strong business climate for us to thrive. I appreciate her support of key initiatives important to Cleveland-Cliffs through the years.”

The LSCP Board of Directors has formally launched an official search process to recruit Clickner’s successor and anticipates naming the LSCP’s next CEO by early 2021.

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About Lake Superior Community Partnership
The Lake Superior Community Partnership (LSCP) is the region’s leading resource for economic development, providing a wide variety of affordable and effective development services. The LSCP helps its partners make the connections that matter – between businesses, organizations, leaders and legislators, and provides a powerful legislative voice for programs and policies that strengthen the regional economy. More information on the Lake Superior Community Partnership can be found at www.marquette.org.