Interim Chief Executive Officer, Southwest Michigan First | President, Consultant Connect

Meet Carla

Carla Sones currently serves as interim chief executive officer of Southwest Michigan First (SMF), where she leads the organization’s efforts to strengthen the regional economy and position Southwest Michigan as a competitive, forward-looking market for business investment and growth.

In this role, Sones oversees a comprehensive economic development strategy spanning business retention, expansion, and attraction; workforce and talent development; entrepreneurship and small business growth; and strategic community development across a seven-county region. She works closely with business leaders, government partners and national stakeholders to drive job creation, investment and long-term economic vitality.

Sones also serves as president of Consultant Connect, a nationally recognized consulting platform that connects economic developers with corporate site selection consultants. Under her leadership, Consultant Connect has grown into one of the most influential networks in the industry, providing unique access to site selection insights and strengthening relationships between communities and decision-makers across the country. She has driven significant organizational growth, most notably scaling Consultant Connect from a $250,000 startup to a $2.7 million-plus+ revenue-generating national platform and an international thought leader in economic development.

With more than a decade of leadership experience, Sones is known for her collaborative leadership style, her ability to align diverse stakeholders around shared priorities, and her deep understanding of the evolving site selection landscape. She brings a national perspective to regional economic development, informed by her work with some of the most respected economic developers and consultants in the field.

Sones is a Gallup-Certified CliftonStrengths® Coach and an experienced leadership advisor, with a strong focus on organizational culture, team performance and leadership development. She is passionate about building high-performing teams and ensuring that both strategy and culture are aligned to deliver meaningful results.

She earned a Bachelor of Science in community health education from Western Michigan University and holds a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in the Workplace Certificate from the University of South Florida.

Sones is actively engaged in the community and serves on the Kalamazoo Valley Community College Career and Community Training Advisory Board and the Discover Kalamazoo Advisory Council, and is a member of Economic Development Leaders for Michigan. She is the recipient of the 2024 Community Exemplar Award from Humanex Ventures and a Stevie® Award for Women in Business.

She resides in Southwest Michigan with her husband Carl and their five children.