CEO Gary Smith set to hand CCEDC leadership to President & COO Mike Grigalonis
Exton, PA – March 26, 2026 – Following 50 years of service, Chester County Economic Development Council’s (CCEDC) Chief Executive Officer Gary W. Smith is set to hand the leadership of the organization to President and Chief Operating Officer Michael Grigalonis, who will become CCEDC President & Chief Executive Officer effective July 1, 2026. Announced today by the CCEDC Board of Directors, this transition provides for the seamless continued leadership of the organization and the delivery of its economic development programs and services that have come to define the work and impact of CCEDC over its more than 65-year history. Founded in 1960, CCEDC helps businesses, entrepreneurs and communities across the county and region of southeastern Pennsylvania and beyond and is recognized as an innovative and impactful economic development organization. The professionals of CCEDC serve an array of individuals and business audiences by providing trusted advice, transactional leadership and educational services in the areas of financing, business location services, workforce development programs, and innovation and entrepreneurship initiatives.
“Gary Smith is synonymous with Chester County and with economic development, and much of CCEDC’s success has been shaped and delivered under Gary’s visionary leadership,” said CCEDC Board Chair Michael Hankin. “Without a doubt, thanks to Gary Smith, CCEDC has delivered exceptionally well on its mission of enhancing the quality of life and economic prosperity for neighborhoods, businesses, families and residents across our county and regional community.”
A lifelong resident of Chester County, Smith joined the CCEDC on January 12, 1976, shortly after his graduation from West Chester University, and within two years was named CEO of the organization, furthering its role as an economic development solutions partner and engine of growth across the county, southeastern Pennsylvania and the entire Commonwealth.
“Serving the businesses, entrepreneurs, farmers, residents, and communities of Chester County has been an incredible honor for me and my family,” said Smith. “My work with CCEDC is a true calling both personally and professionally, and I am blessed to have been able to invest my life’s work in support of others across the county and the Commonwealth.”
Smith has helped thousands of businesses of all shapes and sizes and across every industry, from Main Street storefronts, to startups, to farms along our countryside to the county’s largest employers like Vanguard and CTDI. Among the many notable projects CCEDC developed and implemented under Smith’s leadership are:
- The formation of more than 65 industrial centers and business parks such as the Pickering Industrial Park, which is one of the first such projects of its kind;
- The formation of five Industry Partnerships to serve the needs of the key sectors of agriculture, energy, healthcare, manufacturing, and technology;
- Spearheading career exploration programs for area youth such as Girls Exploring Tomorrow’s Technology (GETT), the What’s so Cool about Manufacturing? student video contest, and STEM Innovation summer career academies;
- Funding solutions for countless businesses and industries including family farms and agriculture initiatives across the region and the Commonwealth;
- Financing of more than 8,000 businesses; creation and expansion of one of the country’s most successful U.S. Small Business Administration’s (SBA) lending partners (Southeastern Economic Development Company of Pennsylvania (Seedcopa);
- The launch of the PA Catalyst Fund, a nine-county, $22 million revolving loan fund managed and administered by CCEDC;
- The creation of a charitable foundation to support educational and training initiatives specific to business growth and workforce development that today is a regional program known as the Penn Southeast Economic Development Foundation;
- The creation of an angel investment group to help startups across the region.
Having worked side-by-side with Smith for more than 25 years, CCEDC’s Board of Directors recognizes that Michael Grigalonis, CCEDC President and Chief Operating Officer, is uniquely positioned to continue to build on the foundation of growth and services delivered by the team of 45 CCEDC employees. Grigalonis joined the organization in May of 1998 as an intern while completing his MBA at Villanova University and became a full-time employee in January of 1999. Grigalonis was named COO in 2005, and President and COO in 2023. Grigalonis has guided CCEDC’s staff and day-to-day operations, managing the organization’s $6 million annual operating budget and working closely with CCEDC’s management team to implement a diverse portfolio of programs and services.
“As a private nonprofit economic development organization, CCEDC is a special team of dedicated, creative professionals, and I am excited to continue working with them to help deliver the programs and services that fuel business and community prosperity across the county and region,” said Grigalonis. “Gary is a remarkable leader and mentor, and I have been fortunate to work alongside him, learning and growing personally and professionally.”
Under the Smith-Grigalonis leadership team, CCEDC has navigated steady growth, more than tripling its operating budget and its employees over the past 25 years, while expanding its programs and services to support businesses, entrepreneurs, and economic development projects in communities across multiple counties of Pennsylvania.
“The servant leadership that defines Gary Smith as an individual and as a professional epitomizes the work of the CCEDC, and we are thrilled to celebrate his remarkable career,” said Dr. R. Lorraine (Laurie) Bernotsky, President of West Chester University and Vice Chair of the CCEDC Board of Directors. “As we plan for the future, we know that there is no leader better prepared to elevate the work and impact of the CCEDC than Mike Grigalonis, and we are equally excited to welcome him as CCEDC’s new CEO.”
Smith’s role with the CCEDC will not end on July 1 when he hands the CCEDC leadership to Grigalonis, as he will continue as an Executive Strategist where he will help guide the development of economic development programs to support CCEDC’s growth and impact.