John Sternlicht

CEO

Department: Economic Development

John Sternlicht, attorney and certified economic developer, was selected as the third leader of EDASC and the EDASC Foundation in its 43-year history. He brings to the organization senior executive expertise in law, economic development, community relations, public policy, finance, and government relations with a domestic and international focus. John has over 20 years high-level experience negotiating and executing multi-billion-dollar business locations and expansions involving public and private sector financing, higher education, infrastructure, and legislative initiatives. John currently serves on the Board of Directors of the International Economic Development Council, and speaks nationally and abroad on various topics in economic development, including: the design, protection and assessment of incentives; economic development practices in the United States; the process of negotiation; building public consensus; strategic planning; commercialization; and innovation. John, a graduate of the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service and the University of North Carolina School of Law, also studied journalism and communications at the Université de Fribourg. He became a Certified Economic Developer in 2001 and was named a Fellow Member of the IEDC in 2017, a designation recognizing career service and innovation in the profession.