July 21, 2023

Michael Mitchell
MCEDC, VP, Marketing & Communications
240-641-6725
michael@thinkmoco.com

Rockville, Md — The Montgomery County Economic Development Corporation (MCEDC) announced today that the Montgomery County Council confirmed the appointment of James Soltesz to its Board of Directors. He will replace Carmen Larsen, President and CEO of Aquas. A leading expert in the local land use and entitlements market, he is President and CEO of Soltesz, a multi-disciplinary engineering firm.

As the newest Board member, Soltesz will work with experienced executives from Montgomery County’s key industries, education leaders, and government officials — in collaboration with MCEDC staff — to help businesses start, grow, and relocate to Montgomery County, Md.

Having served on numerous local committees on development issues, including transportation, adequate public facilities, infrastructure financing, school construction, and permit processing, Soltesz has a deep understanding of local, county, and State of Maryland regulatory processes. He holds a BS degree in civil engineering from Purdue University, an MS degree in civil engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology, and an MBA from the University of Cincinnati.

In addition, four members have been reappointed to the Board:

• Kevin Beverly (Chair), former president and CEO of Social & Scientific Systems

• Elana Fine (Vice Chair), CEO, VWG Wealth Management

• Jennifer Hsin (Treasurer), vice president, Clark Enterprises, Inc., and partner at CNF Investments

• Alberto Lacaze, co-founder and CEO, Robotic Research

“MCEDC’s Board of Directors continues to reflect the diversity and wide range of talent and business acumen in the county,” said MCEDC President and CEO Bill Tompkins. “With the addition of James, we will benefit greatly from his vast industry expertise and knowledge, which will help us continue to attract and retain businesses in Montgomery County. We also want to thank our recently reappointed Board members for their continued commitment to MCEDC. Together, we will work to build on our success and position Montgomery County as the premier location for businesses to start, grow, and relocate. I also want to personally express my gratitude to Carmen for serving on our Board in such an exceptional manner.”

Bios of each of our Board members can be found on the MCEDC website.

#### 

About Montgomery County Economic Development Corporation (MCEDC) 

The Montgomery County Economic Development Corporation (MCEDC) is the official public-private economic development organization representing Montgomery County, Maryland. Created in 2016, MCEDC is led by a Board of Directors of business executives. Its mission is to help businesses start, grow and relocate in Montgomery County by helping them gain access to top talent, business and market intelligence and prime locations. For more information, visit our website. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.