Charlie Sparks announces retirement from Greater Kokomo Alliance
President/CEO to retire after eight years of service
After 42 years of bringing economic development to his hometown of Kokomo and across the state of Indiana, Charlie Sparks is announcing his fall retirement as president and CEO of the Greater Kokomo Economic Development Alliance.
Sparks took the reins of the Alliance in 2014 and continued a record of success in community and economic development that he solidified while serving as vice president of the Indiana Economic Development Corp.
He has worked closely with Kokomo and Howard County officials to secure new development in the community, including the $2.5 billion development recently announced by Stellantis and Samsung SDI. Sparks is running strong into retirement, leading the development of an industrial park in Howard County and working to secure a hotel and conference center in downtown Kokomo.
“Having Charlie at the helm of the Greater Kokomo Economic Development Alliance these past eight years has been invaluable to our community,” Kokomo Mayor Tyler Moore said. “His prior experience with the Indiana Economic Development Corp. paid dividends year after year during his tenure here with the Alliance and helped Kokomo and Howard County stay competitive in our efforts to both retain and attract the quality of businesses and talent we have. “Charlie’s work will continue to reap benefits for our area for years to come,” Moore continued. “I can’t thank him enough for his leadership and for his friendship.”
Under his leadership from 2007 to 2014, the IEDC secured more than 1,300 business commitments to create more than 145,000 jobs and invest more than $23 billion to expand or locate operations in Indiana.
Prior to being named vice president of the IEDC, Sparks served as the organization’s director of business development. He served at the state level in the administrations of four Indiana governors and was named a Distinguished Hoosier by then Indiana Gov. Mike Pence in 2014.
Sparks began his economic development career with the Kokomo/Howard County Development Corp. in 1980. His career also took him to the Greater LaPorte Chamber of Commerce, the LaPorte Economic Advancement Foundation, the Warsaw/Kosciusko County Chamber of Commerce and Kosciusko Development, Inc.
In 2018, his longstanding success around the state earned him a spot on an Indiana Economic Development Association list of eight people who have had the greatest impact on economic development in Indiana in the past 50 years.
“Charlie has been a strong, steady advocate for our community,” Howard County Commissioner Paul Wyman said. “His depth of experience, as well as his ability to partner with the public and private sector, has led to a tremendous amount of success under his leadership at the Alliance. Charlie’s outstanding career is one that has had an impact not only locally, but across the State of Indiana. We will miss Charlie greatly, but certainly wish him well in retirement.”
Sparks plans to retire as president and CEO in September.
“I’ve been so fortunate to have had the opportunity to begin and end my career here, in my hometown, and to have enjoyed so many interesting and rewarding opportunities in between,” Sparks said.