Mayor Jorge Elorza today announced Mark F. Huang will serve as the city’s Director of Economic Development where he will act as an economic ambassador and help to identify and expand economic opportunities for development and job creation in Providence.
“I am pleased to welcome Mark to Providence and excited to work with him to craft new economic development opportunities,” said Mayor Elorza. “Mark brings a dynamic set of skills and experiences that will help develop innovative new approaches to creating jobs and building up our workforce.”
Huang co-founded Novus Energy Partners in 2007, followed by Tolero Ventures in San Francisco. He is a former Senior Vice President at GE Energy Financial Services and has over 15 years of experience working with start-up firms in sustainability related sectors. A former U.S. Army Reserves officer, Huang worked on economic development at the neighborhood level in Baghdad, Iraq, the restructuring of Iraq’s State-Owned Enterprises, and the development of programs to help stimulate Iraq’s private sector economy.
He holds an MBA from Columbia University and an undergraduate degree from the Webb Institute of Naval Engineering. Huang served in the US Army Reserves from 1991 thru 2004, graduating from Officer Candidate School in 1992 and the US Army’s Military Intelligence Office School in 1994.
Mark will spend the week meeting with key stakeholders in Providence and Rhode Island. TODAY, July 14, he will join Mayor Elorza, other elected officials and members of the Providence business community on a boat tour of the Providence port. On Wednesday, Huang will join Mayor Elorza and members of the Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce for a roundtable discussion about the ongoing business climate in the city.