Who We Are
When private-sector leaders decided the Greater Lansing region needed better collaboration to strengthen our economic development efforts, they also agreed we needed strong leadership to guide those efforts. They formed Leap, Inc., an innovative private/public partnership that’s been working since 2007 to position the Greater Lansing region to win new jobs and new investment in this competitive global market.
While successful economic development efforts require the hard work of many, we’re partial to our own staff—a select team of smart, talented and surprisingly good-looking individuals who are dedicated to the greater good of the Greater Lansing region:
Denyse Ferguson – Interim President and Chief Executive Officer
Denyse previously served as the Michigan Economic Development Corporation’s university technology transfer and commercialization manager, where she helped Michigan universities commercialize research. She built her extensive business development background while working for Harvard University, The Home Depot and The Timberland Company.
A Greater Lansing region native, Denyse has founded a strategic marketing consulting firm and served on the senior management team of three start-up companies. She has a bachelor’s degree from Harvard University.
To contact Denyse:
517.702.3387 ext. 202
FergusonD@LeapIncorporated.com
Marina Scott – Executive Assistant
Marina Scott joined Leap in 2007 on a one-year special assignment from Accident Fund Insurance Company of America, where she worked from 2001 to 2008. She joined Leap’s staff in July 2008. A Michigan native, Marina spent 10 years living on U.S. Air Force bases in Italy, Arizona, and northern Michigan during her husband’s 10-year military career. They returned to the Greater Lansing region in 1995.
To contact Marina:
517.702.3387 ext. 204
ScottM@LeapIncorporated.com
Justin Himebaugh – Chief Operating Officer
Justin came to Leap from Driesenga & Associates, a Holland, Mich., engineering consulting firm where he served as corporate controller. A Michigan native, Justin is a graduate of the Haworth College of Business at Western Michigan University, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting.
To contact Justin:
517.702.3387 ext. 203
HimebaughJ@LeapIncorporated.com
Patty Mallett – Manager, Communications
Before joining Leap, Patty was communications director for BoarsHead Theater, where she directed the theater’s promotional and public relations activities. She has also worked for the Delta Dental Plans of Michigan, Ohio, and Indiana, where she focused on marketing communications and proposal development. A Michigan native, Patty earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in journalism from Michigan State University.
To contact Patty:
517.702.3387 ext. 205
MallettP@LeapIncorporated.com
Cailyn McElmurry – Business Development Specialist
Cailyn came to Leap in 2008 after returning to her native Michigan from Oklahoma, where she served as a business consultant. Before that, she was a sales and marketing coordinator for Comerica Bank in Dallas, Texas. Cailyn has a bachelor’s degree in political theory/constitutional democracy from James Madison College at Michigan State University and an MBA from the University of Tulsa.
To contact Cailyn:
517.702-3387 ext. 207
McElmurryC@LeapIncorporated.com
Ashley Diener – Strategic Projects Coordinator
Ashley began working at Leap as a student intern in September 2007 during her senior year at Michigan State University. After earning her bachelor’s degree in marketing, Ashley joined the organization full-time in 2008. A native of Richmond, Michigan, Ashley is now a full-time resident of the Greater Lansing region.
To contact Ashley:
517.702-3387 ext. 206
DienerA@LeapIncorporated.com