Category: Team

Former Mayor of Austin Lee Cooke has 39 years of executive and leadership experience in the public and private sectors. He has spent 22 years as Founder/CEO of Habitek International, Inc., a private holding company providing strategic policy counsel to emerging companies. As CEO of U.S. Medical Systems, Inc., a bio-medical subsidiary of Habitek, Cooke…

Consultant, Tech Executive, Board Member, Investor, Corporate Advisor Peter Gross is a seasoned leader, holding key positions such as Chairman of the Board at Cato and serving as a Member of the Board at Chilldyne, Inc. and Edgevana Inc. He also functions as the Managing Partner at PMG ASSOCIATES, INC. His advisory roles extend to…

President and CEO, Greater Sacramento Economic Council Barry Broome is a proven leader with 20-plus years of experience in community-building and economic development, new company creation, formation of public-private partnerships and public policy design. Broome is the founder and President of California’s only CEO-led economic development group. The board is balanced with 45 CEOs and…

Assistant Commissioner, New Mexico State Land Office Steve Vierck, CEcD, currently serves as the Assistant Commissioner/Special Projects for The New Mexico State Land Office. He is responsible for a wide range of Special Projects throughout New Mexico including economic development, large-scale development projects, affordable housing, etc. He also helps further Commissioner of Public Lands Stephanie…

Principal and Founder at Rick Weddle LLC Rick Weddle is the Principal and Founder of Rick Weddle LLC. An accomplished economic development professional with more than 75,000 jobs and $6.9B in investment, Rick has hands-on experience in regional collaboration, recruitment, expansion, incentive negotiation, international business, research park development/management, technology incubation, film industry promotion, public policy…

Principal Owner, Financial Management Esther Angelou is the Principal Owner of AngelouEconomics. Over her 23-year tenure, Esther contributes to all the strategic plans and economic impact studies conducted by AngelouEconomics. She is responsible for the financial and personal property management of the firm. Qualifications

Marketing Director Brigita leads AE’s marketing field with strategic vision and expertise, and is helping with AE’s international expansion. She is primarily responsible for taking care of AE’s communication and positioning, as well as implementing various strategic projects. She is a startup and ICT expert with a background in national and international public institutions, including…

Director of International Business Development With over 18 years of experience in international business development, economic growth strategy, and foreign direct investment, Andrei Buzatu is passionate about helping countries attract FDI, diversify, and specialize their economies. He also assists U.S. companies in navigating new markets worldwide and supports foreign companies in expanding their footprint in…

Executive Vice President Dr. Matt Patton oversees the day-to-day operations of AngelouEconomics. He works with the CEO to coordinate short- and long-term growth strategies. Matt utilizes 15+ years’ quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods research experience. He has seven years’ project, program, and community leadership experience. Previously Matt was faculty in the University Honors Program and…

Associate/Director of Research