The InvestUP Board of Directors has named Marty Fittante as the organization’s new CEO, effective January 1, 2019.
Fittante has represented the Upper Peninsula region in Lansing in multiple roles for more than a decade.
Currently the chief of staff for Michigan State Senator Tom Casperson, he also serves as the legislative director for the Senate Transportation Committee, chaired by the senator. Fittante will work closely with InvestUP interim executive director and board member Karyn Olsson, in the coming months to ease the leadership transition. Olsson, also CEO of Marketing Department Inc., volunteered her time in this role for the past few months to jump start several projects and initiatives.
Fittante has a wide range of public and private leadership experience. His legislative works spans numerous industries, including forestry, mining, and health care.
Among his many accomplishments, he worked on legislation that led to the Healthy Michigan Forestry Package, a partnership between the forest products industry and the environmental community to provide sustainable, responsible forest harvesting practices. Fittante also contributed to the successful passage of HB 6243, which led to the opening of Eagle Mine, bringing 450 jobs to the region. One of his most recent accomplishments was working closely with Senator Casperson to help Dickinson County Hospital find a strategic solution to ensure its continued service to the community.
As a policy advisor in the House Policy Office, he managed three statewide task forces that addressed job creation, education, and agriculture.
Fittante is also an advocate for small business across the Upper Peninsula. During his tenure in the Michigan legislature, Fittante proved his support regularly, by helping to eliminate red tape, amend regulatory barriers, and secure appropriations. His work alongside Senator Casperson has been instrumental to the growth of many businesses and jobs. Fittante and his wife Lisa own an accounting firm in Iron Mountain that serves small and medium sized businesses across the U.P. So, he can also directly relate to small business needs.
Fittante is enthusiastic about getting started in his position. He notes, “This is a great time for InvestUP and for me. Over the past few months, InvestUP has adopted many new initiatives to deepen our impact and strengthen our strategies across the Upper Peninsula. I am looking forward to creating growth and attracting more positive attention and investment to the U.P.”
Bob Mahaney, InvestUP Board Chair and CEO at Veridea Group, echoes Fittante’s comments. “InvestUP was formed around a bold vision: to deliver lasting economic, job, and income growth across the U.P. With the addition of Marty Fittante, our ability to achieve this vision has grown immeasurably.” Senator Casperson adds, “Marty is one of the hardest working people I know. He has a keen mind, deep personal integrity and a unique ability to forge connections and build lasting relationships. His passion for Michigan and the U.P. in particular have been evident through his work. He’s a phenomenal choice.”
The attributes mentioned by Mahaney were proven when Fittante became the inaugural recipient of the Jon Farley Michigan Legislative Staff Award, which is awarded to a staffer who provides extraordinary service and is motivated by a dedication to service and a desire to foster an environment in Lansing based on merit and results.
An Escanaba native, Fittante and his wife have lived between the Upper Peninsula and Lansing. He is a graduate of Bay College, Ferris State University, and Wayne State University Law School. Following graduation from WSU, he spent thirteen years practicing law in the Upper Peninsula.
For more than a decade, Fittante was a board member of Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Bay Area, the Delta County Jaycees, and the Escanaba Fan Club; he served as president for a number of years in each of those organizations. He also served as an instructor to the Gladstone High School Trial Advocacy Team, as a speaker at Law Day and at People’s Law School, and as a participant in the School to Work Initiative.
