Marty Fittante

MARQUETTE — Escanaba native Marty Fittante has been named CEO of InvestUP.

Fittante will lead the newly developed private sector-led economic organization effective Jan. 1, an InvestUP press release states.

As the current chief of staff for Sen. Tom Casperson, Fittante also serves as the legislative director for the Senate Transportation Committee, chaired by the senator.

“This is a great time for InvestUP and for me. Over the past few months, InvestUP has adopted many new initiatives to deepen our impact and strengthen our strategies across the Upper Peninsula,” Fittante said. “I am looking forward to creating growth and attracting more positive attention and investment to the U.P.”

Fittante comes to InvestUP with a wide range of public- and private-sector leadership experience, the release states, with legislative works spanning numerous industries including forestry, mining and health care. Among his many accomplishments, he worked on legislation that led to the Healthy Michigan Forestry Package, a partnership between the forest products industry and the environmental community to provide sustainable, responsible forest harvesting practices.

One of his most recent accomplishments, the release states, was working with Casperson to help Dickinson County Hospital find a strategic solution to ensure its continued service to the community, and as a policy adviser in the House Policy Office, he managed three statewide task forces that addressed job creation, education and agriculture.

Fittante is also recognized as an advocate for small business across the Upper Peninsula. He and his wife Lisa own an accounting firm in Iron Mountain that serves small- and medium-sized businesses across the U.P.

Bob Mahaney, InvestUP Board of Directors chairman and CEO at Veridea Group, said Fittante is a good fit for the organization.

“InvestUP was formed around a bold vision: to deliver lasting economic, job and income growth across the U.P.,” Mahaney said. “With the addition of Marty Fittante, our ability to achieve this vision has grown immeasurably.”

Casperson, for his part called Fittante “one of the hardest working people I know.”

“He has a keen mind, deep personal integrity and a unique ability to forge connections and build lasting relationships.” Casperson said. “His passion for Michigan and the U.P. in particular have been evident through his work. He’s a phenomenal choice.”

Fittante is the inaugural recipient of the Jon Farley Michigan Legislative Staff Award, which is awarded to a staffer who provides extraordinary service and is motivated by a dedication to service and a desire to foster an environment in Lansing based on merit and results. He is a graduate of Bay College, Ferris State University and Wayne State University Law School. Following graduation from WSU, he spent 13 years practicing law in the U.P.

For more than a decade, Fittante was a board member of Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Bay Area, the Delta County Jaycees and the Escanaba Fan Club, the release states. He served as president for a number of years in each of those organizations. He also served as an instructor to the Gladstone High School Trial Advocacy Team, as a speaker at Law Day and at People’s Law School, and as a participant in the School to Work Initiative.

Fittante will work closely with InvestUP Interim Executive Director Karyn Olsson over the next few months to ease the leadership transition.