Central Berrien does not lack for assets. It has manufacturing muscle, working farmland, world-class educational institutions, and a riverfront that attracts residents from all walks of life. What it has needed is someone to help six communities point all of that in the same direction.
That someone is Jenni Leich, the new Director of the Central Berrien Chamber Growth Alliance (CGA) with the Southwest Michigan Regional Chamber.
A Background Built for the Role
Leich steps into the role from Michigan Works! Berrien, Cass, Van Buren, where she spent years working directly with employers on workforce needs, talent pipelines, and long-term growth. Earlier work with the State of Michigan gave her a working knowledge of the programs, funding streams, and economic development tools that too often sit unused at the local level.
Her real calling card, though, is her network. Leich has spent a career connecting people—employers to training partners, municipalities to state resources, ideas to the funding that moves them forward.
“What drew me to this role is the opportunity,” said Jenni Leich, Director of the Central Berrien CGA. “You have six communities that have always worked hard for their residents, and now they have a shared platform to do even more together. I can’t wait to help tell that story and move real projects forward.”
Leading with Intention
In her first weeks, Leich has spent more time taking notes than giving direction. She’s met with officials, business owners, and community leaders across the Village of Baroda, Baroda Township, the Village of Berrien Springs, Oronoko Township, the Village of Eau Claire, and Berrien Township—asking what’s working, what isn’t, and where the CGA can add real capacity.
It’s an approach that fits the region. Central Berrien’s strength isn’t any single industry or downtown; it’s the mix. Manufacturing continues to anchor the economy. Agriculture remains a defining part of local identity. And Andrews University’s international community brings entrepreneurial energy and cultural depth that set the area apart.
A Strategy of Intentional Growth
For rural and small-town communities, Leich believes success isn’t measured in square footage or ribbon cuttings alone. It’s measured in whether growth reflects the community doing the growing. That means retaining and expanding the businesses already here, encouraging new entrepreneurs, and attracting investment that complements—rather than overwrites—the character of each village and township.
Community development runs on the same track. Vibrant downtowns, attainable housing, reliable infrastructure, and welcoming public spaces are what make a place worth staying in and worth moving to. In Leich’s view, economic and community development aren’t separate conversations.
“Jenni has everything it takes to be successful in this role,” said Arthur Havlicek, President & CEO of the Southwest Michigan Regional Chamber. “She understands these communities, she understands our community-led approach, and she has the relationships and the drive to make things happen. We’re fortunate to have her leading Central Berrien forward.”
Looking Ahead
Leich’s early priorities are clear: business retention and expansion, stronger partnerships across the six municipalities, and telling Central Berrien’s story to the rest of Southwest Michigan. The work ahead is substantial. But with a proven connector at the helm and the Regional Chamber powering the effort, Central Berrien’s next chapter is being written with intention—and with the communities themselves holding the pen.
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