KJK is pleased to announce that Partner Stephanie Mercado has been named to the Leadership Cleveland class of 2020 following a highly competitive selection process. The intensive 10-month civic leadership development program, run by the Cleveland Leadership Center, brings together outstanding senior-level leaders from the nonprofit, corporate, civic, private and public sectors. During the course of the program, Stephanie will work collaboratively with other Leadership Cleveland participants to hone and advance her leadership skills, while working to address community issues and positively impact the Cleveland area.
As a Partner in KJK’s Economic Development Practice Group, Stephanie advises growing companies looking to expand or relocate both in and outside of Ohio, real estate developers planning new projects, and municipalities seeking to attract or retain businesses in their communities. Stephanie is skilled at utilizing public and private resources to solve development and growth obstacles related to infrastructure, utilities, environmental concerns, real estate, workforce and other factors companies consider as part of their site selection process. Stephanie crafts capital structures focused on a client’s unique needs – whether it is a growing company, brownfield redevelopment or site manufacturing plant expansion. Stephanie knows that no deal is the same. She uses her deep experience and adds value by leveraging relationships with the Federal, state and local entities and negotiating economic development incentives such as tax abatements, tax increment financing, brownfield and underutilized property redevelopment funds, bond financing, utility structures, new market and historic tax credits, job creation tax credits and various grant programs.
Stephanie previously held a seat on the Ohio Civil Rights Commission and is the former executive director of the Northeast Ohio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and the Northeast Ohio Hispanic Center for Economic Development. She is a mother of two girls and an avid rower, and is also a member of the Western Reserve Rowing Association and board member of University Settlement, Inc.
Stephanie holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from John Carroll University and a J.D. from Cleveland State University Cleveland-Marshall College of Law.
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