Awards

Robert Sieghart Award

For Enthusiasm for the Economic Development Profession
This award was introduced in 2015. Robert Sieghart, who passed away that year, was a retired Executive in the Economic Development Team for Consumers Energy for many years. He started his career as an engineer at Consumers and rose through the organization to become the Senior Marketing Engineer on their Economic Development Team. He also served as the President of the Village of Brooklyn for 14 years and served on their Planning Commission for 24 years. He was an active MEDA Member. He served on the MEDA Board for several years, and in 1987 served as the President of MEDA.

Bob was enthusiastic about much in life, including golf, his family, the Village of Brooklyn, and his beloved Fighting Illini at his alma mater, the University of Illinois. No one could wear an orange Fighting Illini blazer like Bob! With this award, we remember Bob for his enthusiasm for economic development. He made sure that every MEDA meeting was full of networking and fun. He made sure that new members of the organization were greeted and introduced to as many people as possible, and immediately put on a committee so that they could feel a part of the organization. He was very interested in building up a farm team of MEDA members, and if you look at the Presidents and Board Members of MEDA that followed Bob, they were all people that he encouraged to get more involved in economic development as a career, and MEDA as the group that would embrace professionals and gives them the support and tools that they needed. Bob was also concerned about the future of economic development as a profession, and MEDA as the voice, and worked on several strategic planning and by-law committees through the years so that the organization was structured to best prepare its members for the challenges and opportunities that lay before them.

The recipient of this award is someone who loves the profession of economic development, but may not necessarily be a full-time economic developer. This recipient is someone who understands the importance of economic development to all communities in this state, as well as at the state level. This person will be interested in bringing more converts into the economic development fold, whether private sector partners, local community officials, or college students that are considering career options. This recipient will love the thought that more jobs and investment in a community will benefit the entire state, that the rising tide lifts all ships. This person understands that the definition of economic development will be different in every community and organization, but the principles of helping the business community stay and grow will strengthen the future of our great state. Finally, this award recipient will have embraced MEDA as the organization that is the voice of this profession in Michigan.

The Sieghart Award is limited to MEDA Members.

Past Winners

• 2024 - Joe McCullloch
• 2023 - Lisa Miller
• 2022 - Nicole Black
• 2021 - Kati Mora
• 2020 - Bruce Seymore
• 2019 - Justin Horvath
• 2018 - Rochelle Freeman
• 2017 - Doug Brown
• 2016 - Ara Topouzian