Staton Named Interim Secretary of Commerce

Governor Eric J. Holcomb announced he has selected Jim Staton to serve as interim Secretary of Commerce.

Staton has served Indiana’s business community for more than 30 years. He first joined the Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC) in 2005 and currently serves as senior vice president and chief business development officer, overseeing the organization’s domestic and international business expansion and attraction efforts and leading the team through back-to-back record-breaking years for economic development.

Prior to being selected to lead global business development activity in 2018, he served in a number of economic development-focused roles at the IEDC, including vice president of business development, director of business development for the central and northwest Indiana regions, and as business recruitment director for North America.

Staton earned undergraduate degrees in environmental design and urban planning from Ball State University.

Staton will begin as interim Secretary of Commerce immediately.

Indiana’s previous Secretary of Commerce, Jim Schellinger, resigned in early March. During his tenure, he led the state’s domestic and international economic development with four consecutive, record-breaking years for economic development in Indiana. In 2020 alone, the IEDC secured 282 commitments from companies to locate or grow in the state. Together, these businesses plan to invest more than $5.6 billion in their Indiana operations and create up to 31,300 new Hoosier jobs with average wages of $28.13/hour – marking the highest annual record for new job commitments and the second-highest annual record for average wages since the IEDC was established in 2005.

The Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC) leads the state of Indiana’s economic development efforts, helping businesses launch, grow and locate in the state. Governed by a 15-member board chaired by Governor Eric J. Holcomb, the IEDC manages many initiatives, including performance-based tax credits, workforce training grants, innovation and entrepreneurship resources, public infrastructure assistance, and talent attraction and retention efforts. For more information about the IEDC, visit www.iedc.in.gov.