
About Greater Rochester Enterprise
If you are looking to expand your business, Greater Rochester Enterprise is here to help.
Photo by Judy Lombard Newell
We’ll Help You Chart The Course For Business Success
GRE Can Help Steer Your Company in the Right Direction
Greater Rochester Enterprise (GRE) is a not-for-profit economic development organization committed to attracting new capital investments, creating regional wealth, and new jobs throughout the Greater Rochester, NY region. It’s been GRE’s commitment for more than 20 years to serve this community. As a trusted advisor, the GRE team of economic development professionals will connect you to the right people and the right resources to expand your company in the nine county Greater Rochester, NY region.
GRE business development specialists will help you access commercial real estate, business partners, local suppliers, economic incentives, world-class R&D assets, workforce recruitment, and training resources to address your business needs. GRE is the first call you should make to put your company on a fast track to profitability and success.
DOING BUSINESS HERE
Connecting Your Business With The Resources
You Need
Learn More About Our Client-Driven Project Management Resources.
Photo credit: Commercial Sites & Buildings: HP Hood. Talent: Matt Wittmeyer. Living Here: Ryan Moore.

REGIONAL STATS
Detailed statistical, comparative, and industry-specific information

TALENT
Assistance with workforce recruitment and training needs

COMMERCIAL SITES & BUILDINGS
Research and identify potential sites and buildings

LIVING HERE
Detailed information about living in Rochester, NY

INCENTIVES
Identify available grants, incentives, and financing
Meet the Team
Research and Systems Analyst

Gaby Amos
Research and Systems Analyst
Gaby Amos joined GRE first as an intern and then as a Business Development Associate in 2019. In her current role as a Research and Systems Analyst, Gaby is responsible for supporting requests for information responses, generating leads for the Business Development team, and maintaining up-to-date information on the Greater Rochester region.
While in school, Gaby completed a three-month internship with the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Foreign Commercial Service at the U.S. Embassy in Paris, France where she worked to assist American companies’ efforts to export to France and the European Union.
Gaby graduated magna cum laude from the University of South Carolina in 2019 with a bachelor’s degree in political science and minors in French and statistics. While in college, Gaby was a student-athlete on the university’s Division I women’s golf team and a student in the South Carolina Honors College (really—ask her about her thesis!).
As a Florida native, Gaby has enjoyed getting to experience all that the Rochester region has to offer from hiking the beautiful trails through Letchworth in the fall to ice skating downtown on her lunch break in the winter. In her spare time, you can find Gaby out on the golf course, listening to a podcast, or reading up on just about anything.
Managing Director, Business Development

Katie Bresnan
Managing Director, Business Development
Katie Bresnan serves as Managing Director, Business Development at Greater Rochester Enterprise. In this role she supports the team’s efforts to attract and grow business in the Greater Rochester, NY region. Before joining GRE, Katie served as Executive Director of Grateful Patient and Clinician Engagement at Rochester Regional Health Foundation, Senior Director of Advancement for Heart and Vascular at the University of Rochester, and Director of Development at Columbia University Medical Center.
Katie is an experienced executive with a specialty in non-profit management, building fundraising programs, and leading strategic planning for health care and academic organizations. She has a successful record of accomplishment in fundraising, board governance, and volunteer management. She is committed to strengthening our community through relationship building, advocacy, and volunteerism.
Katie received her bachelor’s degree in English from St. Bonaventure University and her master’s degree in Higher Education Administration from New York University. She currently resides in Victor with her husband, Brian, and three children, Maddie, Johnny, and Nora. In her free time, she enjoys yoga, gardening, and reading.
Manager, Research & Information Systems

Winona Dixon
Manager, Research & Information Systems
Winona Dixon joined GRE in June 2003 as the Executive Assistant to the President and CEO. She currently serves as Manager, Research and Information Systems. In addition to these duties, Winona also manages numerous site search requests and development of proposals for national site selectors.
Winona holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Management and a master’s degree in Management and Information Technology from Rochester Institute of Technology, and is a graduate of the United Way’s African American Leadership Development Program.
Senior Managing Director, Business Development

David Grome
Senior Managing Director, Business Development
David Grome currently serves as Senior Managing Director, Business Development at Greater Rochester Enterprise. In this role, David fosters collaboration to drive investment and growth in the nine-county Rochester region, one of the world’s most innovative economies.
David spent the past 13 years helping companies achieve growth through product launches, geographic expansions, and customer acquisition.
Between 2014 and 2019, David served as account director at Butler/Till, one of the fastest-growing marketing agencies in the U.S. In this role, he managed enterprise client relationships and directed advertising campaigns that grew brand and market share. During his tenure, David’s leadership contributed more than $19 million in agency revenue.
Between 2007 and 2013, David worked at Mower, a top 3 B2B agency and top 50 PR agency. As a business strategist, he helped clients use brand strategy, market analysis, and strategic public relations to strengthen their competitive advantage.
David is a past board member of the Small Business Council of Rochester and remains active on non-profit boards focused on community issues such as women’s health, job creation, and young professionals. He earned a dual-degree in political science and public policy studies from Hobart and William Smith Colleges.
David resides in the Town of Brighton with his partner Janine.
Executive Vice President & Chief Marketing Officer

Staci Henning
Executive Vice President & Chief Marketing Officer
Staci Henning brings more than 30 years of marketing experience to her role as Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer. She is responsible for all aspects of GRE’s marketing strategy and creative development, including advertising, corporate communications, internet marketing, and public relations. Staci also produces a biweekly TV segment in partnership with WROC TV and a weekly radio segment in partnership with WHAM1180.
Before joining GRE in 2004, Staci served as Vice President, Corporate Advertising and Branding Manager for The PNC Financial Services Group in Pittsburgh, PA. During her tenure at PNC, Staci managed marketing programs to reposition PNC’s brand and promote the company’s personal banking, corporate banking, and investment services.
Before her venture into the financial services sector, Staci worked as a Marketing Manager and Advertising Manager at MCI WorldCom in Arlington, VA. She managed numerous broadcast advertising campaigns for MCI Friends & Family as well as other MCI branded services. Staci’s marketing campaigns have garnered industry awards for creativity as well as generating business results.
In 2024 Staci was named one of the Rochester Business Journal’s Circle of Excellence honorees in recognition of her community service contributions, leadership accomplishments, and commitment to mentoring others. Staci’s other notable honors include the Rochester Business Journal’s 2018 Women of Excellence Award, the 2015 JCC Young Leadership Award, and the Jewish Federation of Rochester’s 2012 Raye K. Aiole Young Leadership Award.
A Rochester native, Staci holds a Bachelor of Science degree in advertising from Syracuse University’s S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications.
Marketing Manager

Adriana Henry
Marketing Manager
Adriana Henry stepped into the role of Marketing Manager at GRE in February 2024. She is responsible for social media strategy, creating compelling design materials, and crafting impactful presentations to assist in business attraction and expansion across the region.
Prior to joining GRE, Adriana honed her skills as a Graphic Designer within the dental industry at Hybridge Dental Implants, and as a versatile Freelance Designer collaborating with various small businesses.
Adriana is a Rochester native who attended Nazareth University and received her Bachelor of Science degree in Visual Communications and Design. She currently resides in East Rochester. When not immersed in creative endeavors, she cherishes moments with her loved ones and furry companions.
President & CEO

Matt Hurlbutt
President & CEO
Matt Hurlbutt serves as President and Chief Executive Officer at Greater Rochester Enterprise (GRE) with responsibility for supporting business attraction and expansion in the Greater Rochester, New York region. Matt guides regional marketing, business growth strategies and outreach efforts to position Rochester as a destination of choice for business investment. Matt works directly with business executives and national site selectors as they consider locations for investment and job creation. Before assuming this leadership role in 2017, Matt served as GRE’s executive vice president and chief operating officer for nine years.
Matt was directly involved in bringing Amazon, The Coca-Cola/fairlife, Edwards, FedEx Freight, Foundation Financial Group, GreenLight BioSciences, Li-Cycle, Love Beets USA, OFD Foods, Omni-ID, Quintel Solutions, Panasonic, Security Risk Advisors, and Toyota Material Handling North America to the region. He also worked with Aerosafe Global, American Packaging Corporation, Bausch + Lomb, Brand Networks, Cantel, Creation Technologies, Envative, FIFCO USA, Intergrow, LiDestri Food & Drink, Maximus, Optimax, Plug Power, ProAmpac, Rochester Precision Optics and Zweigles as the companies expanded in the region.
In addition, Matt directs GRE’s award winning GRE Economic Gardening effort and collaborates with state and local partners to leverage the region’s assets in order to support innovation and economic growth of local companies.
Matt was named to the “40 under 40” list by the Rochester Business Journal, an award given to recognize individuals with outstanding leadership and accomplishments for service in their profession and the community at large. In addition, Matt was included in City & State’s Inaugural Trailblazers in Economic Development list in 2025 and the RBJ’s Power 100 List in 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024. Matt serves on the Board of the New York State Economic Development Council, Center 4 Hope, and is a member of the Finger Lakes Regional Economic Development Council, Center 4 Hope and is a member of the Finger Lakes Regional Economic Development Council.
Business Development Manager

Jared Jones
Business Development Manager
Jared Jones joined the GRE team in 2024 as a Business Development Manager. In this role, Jared focuses on GRE’s efforts to both support growing business and attract new business to Rochester, and the surrounding Finger Lakes Region. Connecting companies with the key people and vital resources they need to succeed.
Prior to joining GRE Jared worked in the consumer sporting goods industry for Implus LLC. As a Director of New Product Development out of Durham, NC, Jared focused on the commercialization of new product lines for brands including Sof Sole, Spenco, Forcefield, Trigger Point, and Yaktrax. Then as Director of Global Sourcing, out of San Diego, CA, Jared focused on the international supply chain efficient and integrity for the Footwear Accessory and Outdoor divisions of the company.
Jared received his Bachelor of Arts in International Relations and History from SUNY Geneseo. Jared is currently enrolled in the Professional MBA program at the Simon School of Business at the University of Rochester.
Jared enjoys living in the city with his wife Taylor and young son. As a Rochester native and “boomerang” couple Jared and Taylor enjoy promoting the great quality of life in the region.
Executive Office Administrator

Cindy Schmidt
Executive Office Administrator
585-530-6204
Cindy Schmidt joined GRE in October 2023 as the Executive Office Administrator. She is responsible for office operations, accounts payables/receivables, coordinating company events, and supporting the GRE president and CEO and the rest of the GRE team.
Before joining GRE, Cindy served as the Principal’s Administrative Assistant at West Irondequoit Central School District for 4 years. Earlier in her career, Cindy worked for 23 years as a Legal Administrative Assistant at Eastman Kodak Company.
Cindy lives in Irondequoit with her husband and three children. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family, cooking, gardening, traveling, and watching her kids’ sporting events.
Executive Vice President, Business Development & Strategy

Leah George VanScott
Executive Vice President, Business Development & Strategy
As the senior member of GRE’s business development team, Leah manages relationships with corporate executives, site selectors, and regional economic development officials to attract private capital investment and new jobs to the 9-county Greater Rochester, NY Region. GRE is often described as the concierge to the region, providing critical and confidential information and connectivity to key business partners to support growth. Leah works tirelessly internally to implement continuous process improvements and externally to successfully guide companies through the economic development process.
Leah was directly involved in the attraction of Edwards, Plug Power, Li-Cycle Corp., Security Risk Advisors, VIAVI Solutions, Ocean Insight, and the expansion of JCS Process & Control Systems, Greenlight Networks, Zweigles, Vuzix Corp., Corning, Carestream Health, Pactiv Corporation, Durst Image Technology US, and ITX Corp.
Leah serves on the Board of Directors of the New York Wine & Grape Foundation, and St. John Fisher’s School of Business Dean’s Advisory Council.
Leah received the Rochester Business Journal’s 2023 Women of Excellence Award, 40 Under 40 award, the ‘Victor E. Salerno Award for American Enterprise’ and Excellence in Management and the Rochester Women’s Network Up & Coming Businesswoman’s Award.
Prior to joining GRE, Leah spent more than a decade as a broadcast journalist. She graduated from SUNY Geneseo with a B.A. in communications, public relations and business and earned an M.B.A. from St. John Fisher College.
Business Development Manager

Raymond Zayas
Business Development Manager
Raymond Zayas joined the GRE team in 2022 as business development manager. In this role, Raymond supports GRE’s efforts to attract and grow businesses in the nine-county Greater Rochester Region.
Prior to joining the GRE, Raymond served as a Credit Analyst at Qualitrol Corp. In this role, he was responsible for assessing the creditworthiness of a global portfolio of firms, ensuring compliance within assigned credit limits, and evaluating risk using regional, sector-specific, environmental, and other relevant data.
Between 2017-2020, he served as a financial analyst in a variety of organizations, developing his skills in financial data analysis to help inform better business decisions and make recommendations for process improvement.
He graduated from Roberts Wesleyan College with a Bachelor of Science in Management in 2015 and earned a Master of Business Administration from the Saunders College of Business at RIT in 2021.
Raymond is active in organizations focusing on ecological awareness, environmental conservation and is a Rochester Hispanic Business Association member. He enjoys exploring traveling, photography, and watching Arsenal Football Club in his free time.
GRE recognizes the rich diversity of its employees and the varying cultures, background, and experiences they each bring to the workplace. We are committed to maintaining and promoting a work environment where employees’ and clients’ similarities and differences are respected and valued.
Check Out Why So Many Local Leaders Support GRE
Why do local businesses, higher ed, and government partners support GRE? They value our energy, dedication, connectivity, and commitment to get economic development results. Thanks to their support, we can connect you to the right people and the right resources to help your company grow in the Greater Rochester, NY region.
Relevant Documents

You know your business.
We know Greater Rochester.
Let’s team up.
Photo by John Kucko
Thank You To Our Investors










































High tech companies know Rochester as the optics mecca in the United States.
Matt Sydor
Vice President, Sales and Compliance, Sydor Optics
Rochester is the right place for a manufacturer like Pfisterer. We found an affordable, suitable manufacturing site, a skilled and motivated workforce, excellent infrastructure and a city with an excellent standard of living.
Marcus Horn
President, North America, Pfisterer
At Toyota Material Handling North America, which is comprised of two main group companies – Toyota Material Handling and The Raymond Corporation – we are committed to leading the way in energy innovation. We believe that the Greater Rochester, NY region shares that commitment, and is the ideal location to establish our cutting-edge energy storage and fuel cell development center.”
Jennifer Lupo
Vice President of Energy Solutions, Supply Chain, and Leasing, The Raymond Corporation
Rochester has a great work base. They’re loyal. They’re smart. They’re well educated and they want to succeed.
Jim Continenza
Executive Chairman and CEO, Eastman Kodak
We keep and maintain and are investing specifically in Rochester because that is where the talent is. We don’t succeed without the right talent.
David Velasquez
Vice President and General Manager, Corning Incorporated
Rochester has the manufacturing capability, testing capability, and intellectual horsepower.
Matt Fronk
Past Chairman, NY BEST
Rochester has a deep talent pool around all of the things that we need to do to commercialize advanced materials for the energy economy.
Ben Britton
Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer, Ionomr
The decision to expand locally was a relatively easy one for CooperVision. The Rochester area has provided so many of the elements necessary for a successful operation.
Jerry Warner
President, CooperVision
The proximity to top colleges and industry-leading companies, in addition to the quality of life in Western New York, made the decision to open our second office in Rochester an easy one.
Mike Pinch
Director, Security Risk Advisors
“Rochester is world famous for precision optics manufacturing and photonics.”
Jennifer Cable
President, Thorlabs
We have a long history of people skilled in aerospace technology and precision optical assembly. We take advantage of the industrial base in the Rochester area. We also take advantage of the skill sets developed by our local technical institutions like MCC, RIT, or the University of Rochester.”
Tony Whitman
Cryogenic Optical Test Director for James Webb Space Telescope, L3 Harris
We have inherited an exceptional quality of life thanks to an impressive cluster of cultural organizations, unparalleled natural resources, and a resilient and welcoming spirit of community.
David Munson
President, Rochester Insititute of Technology
Once people get here and their families get used to short commute times, low home prices, the fact we have all kinds of recreational sporting activities, the quality of schools, they don’t want to leave.
Arunas Chesonis
CEO and Chairman, Sweetwater Energy
Rochester has provided ID Signsystems with the ability to grow and develop by tapping into the region’s large pool of design-focused talent, technicians, engineers and sign makers.
Paul Dudley
President, ID Signsystems
Our network of local universities, colleges, and optics companies has created a workforce pipeline that is unmatched anywhere in the United States.
Joseph Spilman
CEO, Optimax
GRE’s direction and guidance proved to be well worth our investment. Their passion to make the business environment in the Rochester area greater is very apparent.
Scott MacCaull
Workplace Interiors
There is unlimited, untapped technical talent in the area and I hope we start a wave of other companies moving to Rochester.
Austin McChord
Founder, Datto
Rochester has a long history of being a hub for telecommunications. There is a rich ecosystem of talent and services to support business growth.
Jai Ramachandran
Founder and CEO, Wire3
Rochester is the perfect size city to get business done. I’m always one connection away from anything I’m looking for.
Zack Phillips
President, Kink BMX
We have access to talent graduating from our businesses and technical institutions capable of perpetuating our success for years to come.
Marc Iacona
President & CEO, Simcona Electronics
The Rochester region provided convenient access to both railroads and major highways, as well as proximity to Barilla’s customer base in the Northeast.
Fabio Pettenati
Vice President of Supply Chain, Barilla America
We’re excited about this area. There’s high-quality milk in the region. There’s a lot of top talent. The industry, the innovation, the technical experience , the work ethic is all attractive to us.
Phil LaMothe
Vice President of Manufacturing, fairlife
The country is starting to recognize Rochester as a technical city outside of just software. We have optics and manufacturing that’s exceeding most of the baselines around the country.
Craig Lamb
Co-owner, Envative
Rochester has the resources optics companies need to transform their concepts into reality.
Dr. Duncan T. Moore
Vice Provost for Entrepreneurship and Professor of Optical Engineering
Rochester has a great base of intellectual capital in the science and technology fields at local businesses and universities.
Daniel J. Burns
Area Executive for Upstate NY, Western NY, and Pennsylvania, M&T Bank Corporation
We’ve developed vaccines to prevent cervical cancer right here in Rochester.
Peter Robinson
Vice President and COO, University of Rochester Medical Center
Among many great options, none could match Rochester in terms of talent, local supplier networks, and opportunities to partner with top-tier research institutions.
Andy Marsh
CEO, Plug Power
There is an incredible hotbed of talent in Rochester.
Jeff Mucha
CEO and Managing Partner, EEP Quality Group