Belinda Pesti joined Economic Development in September of 1998. As Manager of Business Expansion and Development, she completed the build out of the Cleveland Industrial Park, the city’s only publicly owned park, resulting in 15 companies and over 1000 jobs in the Lee Seville area of Cleveland. In 2001, Belinda was promoted to the position of Assistant Director in the City of Cleveland’s Department of Economic Development. She was instrumental in securing over $14 million dollars of Clean Ohio funds and $800,000 of U.S. EPA funds. These awards have been used to assess and remediate over 150 acres of land and train workers to work in the environmental field. Belinda also was instrumental in the establishment of the City of Cleveland Industrial Land Bank. She secured grant funding from EPA for an Intergovernmental Personnel Agreement to assist in the development of the Industrial Land Bank. She also secured infrastructure grant funding from the Economic Development Administration totaling $3 million dollars for street and infrastructure improvements to benefit companies in industrial areas. Currently, Ms. Pesti serves as the Manager for Retention and Attraction focusing on real estate site selection within the City of Cleveland.

Prior to her hiatus to rear children, Belinda was Assistant Director of Program Development for the Cuyahoga County Commissioners. While with the County, Belinda secured $10 million dollar of grant funds to complete the Playhouse Square project in Downtown Cleveland. She was also responsible for the first Overall Economic Development Plan for both the City of Cleveland and Cuyahoga County. The first joint project of the two governmental entities allowed for the use of Economic Development Administration funds under the Department of Commerce. Belinda received a Master’s Degree in Urban Studies from the Levin College of Urban Affairs of Cleveland State University. She also holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from John Carroll University.