Former Chamber Staffer Named Mayor's Business/Legislative Liaison

Mayor Tom Henry today named Ozzie Mitson as his Business/Legislative Liaison.

“I said I wanted to work with our business community, both directly and through the Chamber of Commerce and I also see the need for greater communication with our city, county, state and federal elected officials,” said Mayor Henry. “Clearly, I have an ideal person to fill this role already here on staff, so it makes sense to formalize his position with an upgrade in title. Ozzie brings a wealth of experience and skills in understanding the needs of business and legislators, and I intend to utilize his skills to strengthen my administration’s involvement in those arenas.”

Included in Mitson’s new duties will be tracking city, county, state, and federal legislation on issues that have Fort Wayne and regional impacts; fostering positive relationships between city, county, state, and federal representatives and the City of Fort Wayne to further the policies and goals of the city; and to assist and advise the Mayor and senior staff on Chamber of Commerce and other local and statewide business organization’s needs and partnership opportunities.

Kristine Foate, President & CEO of the Greater Fort Wayne Chamber of Commerce also voiced the Chamber’s support for this new position. “The Chamber looks forward to working in partnership with the city to make it easier to do business in Fort Wayne. With a more concentrated effort and a single point of contact for business this will provide clear, and more productive, direction when dealing with city issues,” Foate said. “As always, the Chamber stands ready to help make government more efficient and business friendly. We will continue to work with Mayor Henry to create a business friendly climate in our city.”

Mitson, a Fort Wayne native, has served as a public information officer for the city since Mayor Henry appointed him in January of this year. Mitson has previously served as the Manager of Government and Community Affairs for the Greater Fort Wayne Chamber of Commerce, as a staff member of Congressman Mark Souder and has served as campaign staff on political races on both the national and local levels.