Dan Buckenmeyer currently serves as Senior Specialist, Economic Development at the South Bend – Elkhart Regional Partnership, a collaboration of economic development partners in the South Bend-Elkhart Region, which encompasses 47 communities in Northern Indiana and Southwest Michigan. The organization serves as a single point of contact for regional communication and seeks to advance economic opportunities for all partner members through collaborative promotion, marketing, and capacity building efforts.
As Senior Specialist, Economic Development at the South Bend – Elkhart Regional Partnership, Dan works with the Regional Partnership and the South Bend International Airport to increase the direct and indirect economic benefits of airport operations throughout the region. This includes real estate development, international trade, Foreign Trade Zone use, cargo service development, public-private partnerships and more to move people and goods, fueling the regional economy.
Dan has been an economic development practitioner in Indiana and Southwest Michigan for over a decade. Before joining the Regional Partnership in 2021, Dan was the Director of Economic Development for the City of South Bend, where he drove efforts securing more than $300 million in new private investment and 1,000 new and retained jobs. Prior to his work in economic development, Dan has enjoyed a diverse career in areas including nonprofit management and corporate marketing and sales leadership. He also has a life-long track record of mostly successes in entrepreneurial ventures.
