Marc Nelson

Marc Nelson serves as the Director for the City of Roanoke’s (City) Department of Economic Development. He currently leads a staff of nine dynamic individuals focused on a wide range of municipal economic development efforts, including business attraction, retention and expansion; public-private investment; innovation ecosystem building; and economic equity. He also serves on several boards, including the Virginia Institute of Autism and the Virginia Tech Center for Economic and Community Engagement and is a classroom reader for the Star City Reads Program.

Prior to coming to Roanoke, Marc also worked for the City of Savannah and the North Carolina Office of State Budget and Management. He received his Bachelor’s Degree in History from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1996 as well as his Master's in Public Administration Degree from UNC-Chapel Hill in 2003.