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Marcia Gebarowski
Director of Business Development, Livingston
Ann Arbor SPARK
What inspires and drives you in your work or business?
Much of what drives me in the role of being a local economic development leader for Livingston County is seeing local businesses succeed because they have access to the right resources to grow in people or sales or in new technologies. I am inspired by the business owners I speak with on a regular basis, hearing their stories and continuing to find ways to meet their needs through Federal, State, or local resources.
What do you love about conducting business in Livingston County?
While I do not conduct business in Livingston County, I do support a lot of people that do. In either case, the greatest thing about being in business in Livingston County is the connections and collaborations found among the business community throughout the County.
What do you love about being a Chamber member?
I think this is two-fold. I love networking and meeting new people and hearing about their business stories. In order to network, you tend to be in new places, which is another thing I love about being a Chamber member. You get to meet people and check out cool new businesses and be in different parts of the county!
What is the biggest career challenge you’ve had and how did you overcome it?
I can think of multiple challenging projects I have worked on over the years, but the biggest challenge in my career was choosing to come work in Livingston County. In my industry, I was stepping away from being a state economic development person to being a local economic development partner, a very different role at the local level than state. It was truly scary at first, which I learned to embrace because I knew it was all an area of growth for me.
Aspects of my job still scare me, so I know I still challenge myself to do more and better year over year. Overcoming this was simply doing it, and finding the right people to lean on…which I still do today!
If you could collaborate with anyone, who would it be? Why?
I would want to collaborate with Cleary University and area Chamber Members to expand entrepreneurship courses for those who have a dream of starting a business and to create a more robust ecosystem of support for them to grow and thrive in.
What career advice do you live by and who provided the advice?
“Do 1% better today than you did yesterday”, Phil Santer, SVP Ann Arbor SPARK
Who inspires you and why?
Honestly, my two kiddos inspire me! They are two individuals ready to enter into the real world in a few years, and I want to make sure all young people entering the real world have opportunities to work and live here in Livingston County.
What is your greatest personal & professional achievement?
Personally, my greatest achievement would have to be having two amazing kids – being their mom is a blessing every (crazy) day! Professionally, I think taking the US Chamber certification in Talent Pipeline Management (TPM) when I first came into my role, which created the Livingston Manufacturing Collaborative (an employer-led industry group) and using the TPM tools and processes to aid in growing the talent pipeline for manufacturing sector jobs in Livingston County.
What exciting plans or initiatives do you have for 2024?
I am excited for Manufacturing Day 2024 on October 3rd! Where SPARK and LESA team up to host student tours to about a dozen area manufacturers so students can interact with and learn about employers and career opportunities here in the county.
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