RI PowerPlayer: Marcel Valois
Monday, May 06, 2013
Every Monday, GoLocal shines the spotlight on one individual who is making an impact on Rhode Island. This week, GoLocal sat down with Marcel Valois, who was recently tapped by Governor Lincoln Chafee to head the Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation.
Most recently the Vice President of the Economic Development Foundation of Rhode Island since 2011, Valois was the former Executive Director of the EDC under Governor Almond from 1995 to 1997.
You were recently appointed to head the EDC by Governor Chafee, and are awaiting confirmation by the General Assembly. What are your top three priorities for 2013?
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTMy top three priorities are to help create the conditions where new company start-ups and the entrepreneurial spirit can thrive, to work with our existing companies to find new markets and customers so that they can grow and prosper, and to re-brand the Rhode Island image and professionalize our marketing efforts to attract new investment to our state.
We've heard quite a bit about your track record with economic development, but many folks don't know the details. Can you help tell the story of some of your work's highlights and positive impact?
I have been fortunate to have been part of very talented teams of people in the public, private and non-profit sectors that worked on some very successful ventures. Some examples include the redevelopment of a 35+ acre site with 350,000 square feet of dealership facilities at Penske Automotive’s Inskip auto retail campus, with direct oversight of planning, zoning, construction and permitting for all franchises totaling over $85 million dollars in total investment; spearheading the development of a master plan for the 3,000 acre former Quonset/Davisville Navy Base and as well as the marketing efforts for the passage of a $72M bond issue for investment in this facility; and leading the State's negotiating team for the development of the $450 million Providence Place Mall, including structuring a unique performance based sales tax financing mechanism for this transaction.
In addition, I successfully recruited Fidelity Investments to Rhode Island, representing over $500 million in new investment and the creation of 3,000 jobs, which was cited by Site Selection Magazine as one of the top ten development deals in the U.S. in 1996; negotiated a performance-based agreement with the former Fleet National Bank for the development of an operations facility in Lincoln, R.I. that employed over 300 workers; completed the North Central/295 Industrial and Office Park, an 84 acre development that houses over forty companies and employs over 1500 workers; assembled land parcels and obtained necessary permitting for the Island Woods Office Park, a 130 master planned business park that later became the site of Fidelity Investments Operations Center; and co-developed the Highland Corporate Park in Cumberland, Rhode Island, a 225 acre corporate center with underground utilities, fiber optic services and park-like amenities which is the home base for CVS/Caremark and dozens of other very successful companies that employ over 5,000 people.
Take us through a typical day in your life.
I’m an early riser. While I get much of my news and information on the internet, I still need to hold a newspaper while I sip my coffee. I try to remain current on important economic development news around the country. It’s important that we all broaden our perspective beyond our little RI world. I prefer to meet with clients in their own places of business to get a better appreciation of the scope of their operations and some of the challenges they face. Much of the work in economic development is serving as a broker of information, contacts and options to make it easier for companies to grow and that requires constant working of a network of competent service providers that can make that happen. Outside of work, I try to remain active and have favorite 5 mile walk routes. My favorite pastime is walking 18 holes of golf. I don’t feel complete without a round every weekend.
What do you see as the main challenges currently facing the EDC?
The main challenges for the EDC as an organization are focus, consistency, and accountability. Governor Chafee has taken some significant steps to begin this transformation and my responsibility is to continue that work. The specific agenda that I will be discussing with the Governor and the EDC Board include, but are not limited to the following themes:
*Creating a more robust environment for seeding new company start-ups.
*Transitioning to a knowledge, innovation and technology driven economy which will require new approaches and new tools.
*Building confidence and competitiveness for our existing companies through business climate reforms and access to the tools they need to compete globally.
*Developing a manufacturing revitalization agenda and creating good middle class jobs especially in our urban areas.
*Addressing the real skills gap issues from both an education and workforce perspective.
*Promoting smarter and more efficient government operations and services.
*Investing strategically in infrastructure to support economic growth and finding better ways to pay and maintain it.
*Marketing our assets and strengths and proactively managing our reputation.
Tell us something nobody knows about you.
There’s a reason nobody knows!
Quick hitters:
Role Model: My late Dad. Terrific work ethic. Good provider. Community leader. Very stubborn.
Favorite Restaurant: Gracie’s in Providence.
Best Beach: Rocky shore at the Southeast Lighthouse – Block Island.
Best Book You've Read in the Last Year: Spy or legal thrillers. Last one read was The Innocent by David Baldacci.
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