Kevin Malecek
Kevin D. Malecek, Director, Economic Development and International Trade, City of Mentor, Ohio
Kevin D. Malecek has served in a variety of capacities in the governmental, business, non-profit, and political arenas in Northeastern Ohio. Currently, Malecek serves as Director of Economic Development and International Trade for the City of Mentor, Ohio. In that position, Malecek oversees economic development, business attraction, retention, and expansion efforts both domestically and internationally for one of the largest manufacturing and retail centers in the State of Ohio. During his tenure, Mentor has attracted such businesses as Trader Joe’s, Raising Cane’s, Condado Tacos, Meijer, large manufacturing and distribution employers, and completed development of the Cleveland Clinic Mentor Hospital. Malecek orchestrated relationships with organizations in both the United Kingdom and Ireland that resulted in foreign direct investment in Mentor, the expansion of business prospects in the UK for Mentor-based companies, and an ongoing dialogue and exchange with various entities in the UK, Ireland, and Germany for further economic cooperation and development, including the organization of inbound and outbound trade missions.
Previously, Malecek served as Lake County Commissioner, sharing responsibilities with two fellow County Commissioners for the governance and operation of the county government of Lake County, Ohio. Prior to being Commissioner, Malecek was the President and CEO of the Mentor Area Chamber of Commerce and served as Director of the nationally-ranked Part-Time MBA Program at the Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve University.
Malecek currently serves as the Chairman of the Lake County Energy Special Improvement District (ESID), of the Ohio Advisory Board for ERIEBANK, of the State Advisory Board for the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition, of the Lake Erie College Board of Directors, of the Cleveland Council on World Affairs Board of Directors, and as Vice Chair of the Cleveland Committee on Foreign Relations. He earned a Master of Arts in Government: Applied Politics and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and History from American University in Washington, DC.
Malecek was previously honored with the Crain’s Cleveland Business “Twenty In Their 20’s” Award, recognizing up and coming professionals in the Greater Cleveland area and was awarded American University’s “Rising Star” award for young alumni. In 2021, he was recognized by Leadership Lake County as their “Leader of the Year.” In 2025, Malecek was inducted into the Executive Order of Ohio Commodores, through appointment by Ohio’s Governor in recognition for outstanding contributions to the economic development of the State of Ohio.