Christopher Chung
President & CEO
Missouri Partnership
In November 2007, Christopher Chung joined the newly formed Missouri Partnership as the public-private non-profit’s first Chief Executive Officer. In this capacity, Chris will direct business recruitment and marketing efforts for the State of Missouri, with a population of 5.8 million and a diverse economy of more than $226 billion annually in the agribusiness, defense, automotive, financial services, information technology, logistics, and energy sectors. The Missouri Partnership, in close collaboration with the Missouri Department of Economic Development and regional and local economic development organizations around the state, strives to spearhead Missouri’s global efforts to attract new industry, jobs, and prosperity to the state’s communities.
Prior to his current position, Chris served at the pleasure of both Republican and Democratic administrations as Manager of the State of Ohio’s Office of Business Development, leading Ohio’s “front-line sales force” of 20 professionals dedicated to attracting new business investment and job creation to the state. The Office of Business Development generates economic opportunities in Ohio’s business community by helping companies to locate or expand in the state, and houses economic development funding programs of over $80 million annually in financial assistance to Ohio’s companies and communities.
Earlier in his career, Chris was also responsible for managing business attraction and special projects for the State of Ohio, working with domestic corporations (primarily Fortune 1000 or equivalent-size firms) interested in locating new industrial facilities in Ohio. Under his special project responsibilities, Chris worked with high-profile retention and expansion projects for major industrial employers across the state.
His professional memberships include CoreNet Global and the Industrial Asset Management Council, two groups comprised primarily of corporate real estate executives, real estate service providers, and economic developers, as well as the International Economic Development Council, the world’s largest membership association serving the economic development profession.
Chris is a certified Economic Development Finance Professional through the National Development Council, and has previously served as a guest speaker and writer on economic incentives and business tax policy for CoreNet Global and its national chapters in Chicago, Michigan, and Arizona. He has also served as a planning committee chair and guest lecturer for the Ohio Basic Economic Development Course, which is accredited by the International Economic Development Council.
Chris attended The Ohio State University, graduating summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa, with Bachelor of Arts degrees in Japanese and economics. He is nearing completion of a Master of Arts in Public Policy and Management, to be awarded from The Ohio State University’s John Glenn School of Public Affairs.