Stephen MacKenzie is the President and CEO of the Stark Economic Development Board and Strengthening Stark, responsible for advancing economic development to grow and sustain prosperity in Stark County, Ohio.

He has spent 30 years in economic development organizations in Nova Scotia, Connecticut, Ontario and now Stark County. Prior to joining the SEDB he held the position of President & CEO of Invest WindsorEssex; a full-service economic development corporation serving Windsor and Essex County Ontario. In the seven and a half years under his leadership the IWE team completed fifty-eight (58) FDI projects generating investment of $5.5 billion and 5,424 jobs. The Business Retention and Expansion program generated an additional $3.1 billion and 4,419 jobs while the Small Business and Entrepreneurship Center generated $4.9 million in investment and facilitated the creation of 3,696 jobs.

Previously he served as the Executive Director of the Southeastern Connecticut Enterprise Region and held the position of Senior Vice President of the Connecticut Economic Resource Center. Before joining CERC, he was the Director, Economic Development in Stamford Connecticut. In Halifax, Stephen was a Senior Executive Major Projects for the Nova Scotia Department of Economic Development's Investment and Trade Division.

Previously he spent four years with the TD Bank and later served in sales and marketing functions at different organizations in both Canada and Belgium. Stephen has been a part-time lecturer at European University and Mount Saint Vincent University in Halifax.

He received a Bachelor’s degree in Commerce from Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia, completed his MBA at European University in Belgium, and is a graduate of the University of Oklahoma Economic Development Institute. He is a member of the International Advisory Committee of the International Economic Development Council (IEDC), and a Board member for the Canada-United States Business Association (CUSBA), Team NEO, Visit Canton, the Stark Education Partnership and the Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce.