Remembering the life and legacy of Mark Litten.
The economic development world lost one of its brightest lights recently with the sudden passing of Mark Litten. A towering figure in both stature and character, Mark “led with kindness, generosity and an openness that put people at ease almost immediately,” says Rod Crider, president and CEO of the Rowan Economic Development Council in Salisbury, North Carolina. “Wherever he went, goodwill followed.”
Mark was an accomplished leader in economic development. For more than three decades, he led mostly small communities to achieve unprecedented success in capital investment, industrial expansion and job creation. He earned national awards from Site Selection magazine for his work in Erie County, Ohio; Bay City, Michigan; and Putnam County, Florida.
His influence extended far beyond those small towns, however, as he became a leader in the Mid-America Economic Development Council, Ohio Economic Development Association, International Economic Development Council, Southern Economic Development Council and Great Lakes Economic Development Council.
A force of nature by virtue of his affable personality, “Mark was one of those rare people who made friends easily and kept them,” says Crider. “He was a respected leader in the industry. He treated everyone with grace, whether you were a longtime colleague or someone he had just met. He believed that relationships mattered, and he lived that belief every day.”
Those words were echoed by many who remember a gregarious man who never met a stranger. Teresa Nortillo, president of EcoDevo360, says that “he was such a kind and caring person who looked out for other people. He was the guardian of the group and made sure that everyone was OK.”
If you knew Mark for even 15 minutes, you undoubtedly learned about his three great loves: his family, the Ohio State Buckeyes and basketball officiating. He could not stop talking about his beloved wife of 41 years, Robin, and their two precious daughters. He never stopped ribbing Rod Crider for loving the Michigan Wolverines, and he never stopped traversing the state of Ohio to referee high school and college basketball games.
Mark brought that same passion to economic development, leading greater Sandusky in Northwest Ohio to become a top 10 economic development location in the U.S. in the early 2000s, and then two decades later recruiting the largest capital investment in the history of Palatka to the shores of the St. Johns River in northeast Florida.
“He was a respected leader in the industry. He treated everyone with grace, whether you were a longtime colleague or someone he had just met. He believed that relationships mattered, and he lived that belief every day.”
– Rod Crider, President & CEO, Rowan Economic Development Council, on Mark Litten
One of my last conversations with Mark came shortly after he accepted the position as vice president of economic development for the Indian River Chamber of Commerce in Vero Beach, Florida. He invited me to be one of his first guest speakers.
I never made the trip. Mark passed away before the event could take place — and a void bigger than the Midwest engulfed my heart.
To honor Mark, the Great Lakes Economic Development Council is establishing an annual scholarship award, to be given to an individual who aspires to be a leader of character and strength in service to community and economic development.
“What I’ll remember most is his friendliness and kind nature,” says Crider. “He always put people first, and he had so much more to offer.”
