 Name: Jeremiah Quarles
 Date of Birth: July 7, 1980
Director of Business Recruitment & Marketing, Big Sky Economic Development
 Brief Bio:
As the Chief Executive Officer, Quarles has focused the organization’s efforts on attracting regional headquarters in the medical and advanced manufacturing industries, raising brand awareness to southern Dallas County and developing pragmatic strategies for economic growth. Results in his first 14 months in the role include the attraction of more than $115 million in new investment and 400 new jobs through proactive attraction and expansion of corporate projects in DeSoto, TX.
In 2012, Quarles served as Director of Economic Development for the City of Glenn
Heights, Texas. He lead efforts and developed short and long-term strategies for redevelopment, retail recruitment, local business retention and expansion, and entrepreneurial development within the city’s targeted industry sectors.
Prior to his stint with Glenn Heights, Quarles worked in Office of Economic
Development for the City of Dallas for nearly 6 years. On behalf of the city, Quarles managed downtown Dallas projects related to corporate relocations, redevelopment efforts and business retention & expansion initiatives. As a result, Mr. Quarles helped to increase the tax base with committed investments of over $150 million and created over
2,000 new jobs. Projects included the corporate relocation of Comerica Bank, relocation of Fireman’s Fund Insurance, regional expansion of Medline Industries, expansion of
Softlayer Technologies, PFS Web data/call center and the global headquarters of TRT
Holdings Inc. the parent company of Omni Hotel & Resorts and Gold’s Gym. In addition, he managed and assisted in the content creation and development of the City of
Dallas Office of Economic Development’s award-winning website.
Quarles was recently recognized by the Dallas Business Journal as a 2014 Top Minority
Business Leader. He was also awarded one of Five Outstanding Dallasites by the Dallas
Junior Chamber of Commerce in 2011. In 2010 he was named to the prestigious Apex
Society’s Power 30 Under 30™ list and was also featured in Dallas Business Journal’s 40
Under Forty as an honoree under the age of 40 who excel in industry and has demonstrated dynamic leadership in the community. Additionally, he has been listed several times in Who’s Who Among U.S Business Executives.
Actively involved in the Dallas community, Quarles was elected the 2014 Chairman for the DFW Marketing Allies group, which is the economic development arm of the Dallas
Regional Chamber. Additionally, he serves as a board member for the Best Southwest
Partnership and is an active member of the Dallas Mayor’s Star Council, just to name a few. He is also a member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.
Quarles earned his degree in Finance at Michigan State University and is a 2017 MBA candidate at the University of Notre Dame. He is married to Candice Quarles, PHR,
GPHR and father to their newborn baby girl, Avery Nicole.

 Twitter Handle: @jquarles2
 LinkedIn Profile: Jeremiah Quarles
 What groups are you a member of in LinkedIn?
Texas Economic Development
Council, IEDC Young Professionals, U.S Government Relations, DFW Marketing Team,
Economic Development Leadership
 What have you learned so far in your career?
It’s never a dull moment - before coming into the public sector, I worked as a Sr. Financial Analyst for a Fortune 500 company. The work on a monthly basis in the private industry was rewarding but predictable. Conversely, in the arena of economic development no one week is ever the same. You help to shape public policy, facilitate negotiations with key decision makers in the business community, “manage” the complexity of local politics as well as get a chance to put on your creative hat to effectively market your city. What more could one ask for?!
 What’s the most overlooked issue facing economic development?
In my opinion, there are a few: workforce development, primary and secondary education and addressing aging infrastructure. However, retention continuous to be an overlooked issue because it isn’t as sexy as securing a new multimillion dollar relocation project. We all know the stats of what an effective retention program can do for our respective cities, but often times we succumb to the pressure of wanting to get that headline grabbing deal. I am firm believer that if you take care and nurture what you have, great synergy (growth) will come from it.
 Where do you see yourself in five years?
Similar to what I enjoy today – working with a great group of progressive/creative leaders in the form of my Board of
Directors, City Council and staff. In five years, we hope to really make an impact that further enhances the quality of life for the residents of DeSoto, TX. Outside of work, I strive to be the best husband to my wife and father to my newborn baby girl,
Avery Nicole.
 What are you currently reading?
Mo’ Meta Blues: The World According to Questlove by Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson
Found funding for and project managed Big Sky Economic Development's first
Target Industry Analysis in over ten years. The analysis also was the foundation for the community of Billings' first business recruitment marketing plan. The work of the analysis was also responsible for the spin-off of a major communitywide workforce development initiative called BillingsWorks. The TIA helped to launch a much more proactive business recruitment program.
Worked to attract FedEx Ground's new regional distribution hub to Billings.
Worked with a site selection firm 2 1/2 years ago looking for just 10 acres. After a very detailed and specific site selection process, the company was interested in a larger hub and built a $38 million, 146,000 square foot hub on 80 acres. We not

only facilitated the process but worked with local landowners to alleviate concerns of potential issues with choosing that site. FedEx Ground hosted the open house in mid-October, putting a bow on many, many hours of work.
As part of a establishing a more proactive business recruitment program, we launched an initiative called "Think Billings". The campaign focuses on two efforts: 1) asking Billings area residents to submit their photos and thoughts about the area to use in marketing materials used to attract new businesses and 2) asking local business leaders to become ambassadors to introduce us to companies they do business with and contacts they know who may have an interest in locating to the market. Based on the initial success, Big Sky Economic Development was, in
October, recognized as a Silver winner (IEDC) for the kickoff of the initiative.
Working to change our business recruitment program from reactive to proactive, creating programs that bring about real results within the community. We're also tracking many industry trends, building relationships with site selectors, implementing best practices all while creating a few of our own. Our EDO works to collaborate with organizations and businesses to work to attract targeted industries. We're also leading a statewide effort in Montana to increase the state's presence in the site selection community. We've propelled the state to redesign the website, planned and organized statewide site selector luncheons and assisted with a new marketing message.