Looking Back While Forging Ahead: ​examining Eries Economic Development

Stephen Leeper was appointed the first President & CEO of Cincinnati Center City Development Corporation (3CDC) in April 2004. Over the past two decades, Leeper has managed 3CDC's investment of more than $2 billion in downtown Cincinnati and Over-the-Rhine, resulting in the transformation of six of Cincinnati's premier civic spaces (Fountain Square, Washington Park, Memorial Hall, Ziegler Park, Court Street Plaza and Elm Street Plaza), the redevelopment of major downtown landmarks including the renovation of the historic Music Hall, the construction of several new headquarters and mixed use office and retail in the heart of downtown and the reimagination of Cincinnati's convention center. He oversees 3CDC's strategic revitalization efforts, leading to the restoration of 210 buildings and 20 acres of civic space, the construction of 49 new buildings, the development of 1,705 apartments, 598 condominiums, 269 hotel rooms, three comprehensive residential and service facilities for the unhoused (345 beds), 2,178,711 square feet of commercial space, and 5,918 parking spaces to date. Leeper's responsibilities also include the management of residential, commercial, and parking assets with annual revenues of $48 million as well as $217 million in local, corporately-funded, revolving loan funds. Prior to joining 3CDC, Leeper served as executive director of the Sports & Exhibition Authority of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County (SEA) from September 1998 to April 2004. He was responsible for the development and financing of PNC Park, Heinz Field, the David L. Lawrence Convention Center, the North Shore Riverfront Park, and public parking facilities and related road infrastructure. These developments included over $1.1 billion in private and public funding and catalyzed new mixeduse development for the City of Pittsburgh. Prior to the SEA, Leeper served as Director of Development for the City of Pittsburgh where he led the city's development negotiations and financing for several large commercial and industrial real estate projects and designed and implemented the city's $60 million Pittsburgh Development Fund. Leeper was also Director of the Department of Housing for Pittsburgh's Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) where he oversaw $250 million of investments in 26,000 new and renovated housing units within Pittsburgh and designed and implemented the URA's housing programs and policies. Leeper is a native of Pittsburgh. He received his bachelor's degree from Ohio University and a master's degree from Ohio State University.

Timothy G. NeCastro has served as president and CEO of Erie Insurance since 2016. NeCastro joined ERIE in 1996, starting a career that has spanned finance, services and sales. He managed ERIE's Internal Auditing Department and was then promoted to senior vice president of the Controller Division in 1997. In 2008, he moved into operations as senior vice president of the Product and Policy Services Division. He then expanded his experience to field sales operations in 2010, when he was promoted to senior vice president and regional officer. His territorial oversight included Ohio, Indiana, Tennessee, West Virginia, Illinois and Wisconsin. In 2014, NeCastro led ERIE's entry into its 12th state, Kentucky. Prior to joining ERIE, NeCastro worked for The Plastek Group in Erie, Pennsylvania, as director of finance. He previously worked for 10 years progressing through senior manager at Ernst & Young, one of the then "Big Five" public accounting firms, in its Cleveland and Erie offices. An Erie native, NeCastro is a graduate of Cathedral Preparatory School and earned a bachelor's degree in accounting from Gannon University. He is the founding board president of the Erie Downtown Development Corporation, which is transforming the downtown core of Erie through real estate development. He also serves as board president of the Mazzini Charitable Foundation; on the executive committee of the board for The Erie Community Foundation; and as board chairman for Infinite Erie, a coalition that is working to create more than $1 billion in transformational change throughout Erie County. Additionally, he is a board member for Team Pennsylvania and the American Property Casualty Insurance Association; treasurer and council member for The Pennsylvania Society; and is on the advisory council for the Robert Irvine Foundation.