MARQUETTE, Mich. (October 22, 2026) — Invest UP, the regional economic development organization serving the Upper Peninsula, is pleased to announce the appointment of Lindsey Clark as its new Director of Community Development.
Clark brings more than a decade of experience in community and economic development, along with a strong entrepreneurial background and a deep appreciation for small business growth and community prosperity in Northern Michigan.
“I’m honored to join InvestUP and continue supporting the businesses, communities, and people who make the Upper Peninsula such a special place to live and work,” said Clark. “Having worked with communities across the state, I’ve seen how collaboration, creativity, and adding capacity through a role like this can spark meaningful economic growth.”
For the past eight years, Clark has served as Senior Community Development Manager for the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC), where she worked closely with communities across the state to support downtown revitalization, small business initiatives, and public-private partnerships that drive sustainable growth, including especially housing developments. Her leadership in this role helped advance projects that enhanced local economies, strengthened main streets, and attracted investment in Michigan’s rural and mid-sized communities, including in the Upper Peninsula.
“Lindsey’s experience complements the development and housing work already underway through InvestUP and Build U.P., and will be especially valuable as InvestUP continues working with communities on projects that require coordination, persistence, a strong understanding of available tools, and relationships with necessary partners. She knows how to work with the range of local stakeholders and that will help important community development efforts move forward across the U.P.,” said Anne Giroux, Build U.P. Director of Development and Investment Services.
In addition to her professional experience in economic development, Clark has firsthand insight into the challenges and impact that small business can have on rural communities. She is the owner of Urban Bird & Company, an upscale women’s clothing and shoe boutique for the past nine years. Her work as a retailer has fueled her passion for vibrant downtowns, entrepreneurship, and the power of local investment.
Marty Fittante, CEO of InvestUP explains, “Lindsey understands community development from both sides of the table. She has helped communities advance important projects and housing developments through her work at the MEDC, and she knows firsthand that our communities prosper when small businesses thrive because she has built and operated one herself to see its local impact on community. That combination of public-sector experience and real entrepreneurial perspective will be a tremendous asset to InvestUP and to communities across the Upper Peninsula.”
As Director of Community Development, Clark will lead Invest UP’s strategic efforts to strengthen regional economic vitality, develop affordable housing, and support community development initiatives that improve quality of life across all fifteen U.P. counties.
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About InvestUP
InvestUP is the regional economic development organization for the Upper Peninsula, working to advance prosperity across the Upper Peninsula. Leveraging the region’s strengths, assets, and stakeholders, it works in partnership with the private sector, municipal and nonprofit leadership, and institutions to drive the Upper Peninsula’s economy by seizing near-term opportunities and addressing long-term strategic objectives that center on people, projects, place, and promotion. Investupmi.com.
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