RACER Trust Hires Former Michigan Official For Key Role in Redevelopment of Auto Communities

BIRMINGHAM, Mich.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Patricia A. Spitzley, who has served Michigan’s last three governors in a variety of environmental policy, legal affairs, communications and community outreach roles, has been named Deputy Redevelopment Manager of The RACER Trust.

“Her expertise in bringing people together will be key for RACER, as we are already working to identify qualified, responsible buyers for the sites. She’s smart, creative, compassionate and caring, all of which are immensely important to successful outcomes in our auto communities.”

Ms. Spitzley will handle day-to-day outreach to local communities, elected officials and private-sector leaders to drive The RACER Trust’s mission of bringing economic renewal to America’s auto communities.

The RACER Trust was created by a U.S. Bankruptcy Court to clean up and help create new jobs at 89 industrial plants and other properties left behind in General Motors’ 2009 bankruptcy. The properties are located in 14 states, mainly in the Midwest and Northeast. The Trust was established through a settlement agreement among the federal government, the 14 states and the St. Regis Mohawk Tribe, which owns land adjoining one of the sites in Upstate New York.

The RACER Trust owns more than 44 million square feet of industrial space in 66 buildings on 7,000 acres located in 14 states. Under the settlement agreement that created it, the Trust received the 89 former GM properties, nearly $500 million for environmental remediation costs, and additional funds to pay taxes, maintenance, security and utilities costs and other necessary expenses. Proceeds from the sales will cover ongoing expenses related to owning, maintaining, securing and marketing each of the properties.

The RACER Trust is the third-largest owner of industrial property in the United States, and the largest environmental trust in U.S. history.

Ms. Spitzley will work with elected officials, economic development leaders and community groups to identify local priorities and objectives, learn about the communities’ ongoing efforts to market themselves to prospective employers and residents, and how the former GM properties fit into each community’s vision for growth.

“At RACER, my job is to focus on bringing meaningful redevelopment and urgently needed jobs to local areas that are reeling from the closure of the GM plants. I am already talking with and learning from community and economic development leaders so we can move forward on economic growth for these important properties,” Ms. Spitzley said. “I’m very excited to be a part of this revitalization effort and the positive impact it will have on so many people.”

Sixty of the sites also require environmental remediation. Even though The RACER Trust did not create the environmental problems at these sites, it has accepted responsibility for cleaning them up.

“We will hire qualified environmental remediation firms to develop and implement cleanup plans that are safe, effective and practical. The cleanups will be conducted under the supervision of federal and state officials,” said Bruce Rasher, Redevelopment Manager of the RACER Trust.

Ms. Spitzley said she enjoys building consensus and community support among groups with diverse interests and points of view, and it is this opportunity, along with the chance to empower so many communities economically, that primarily attracted her to the opportunity with The RACER Trust.

“We’re very pleased to have Patricia in such a key role on our team,” said Elliott P. Laws, Trustee of The RACER Trust. “Her expertise in bringing people together will be key for RACER, as we are already working to identify qualified, responsible buyers for the sites. She’s smart, creative, compassionate and caring, all of which are immensely important to successful outcomes in our auto communities.”

Ms. Spitzley held appointments by Michigan’s two previous governors, serving as Communications Director for the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality and as Chief of the Office of Legal Services for the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. She volunteered on Governor Rick Snyder’s transition team, co-authoring the transition report for the departments of Natural Resources and Environmental Quality.

As an environmental consultant with Environmental Consulting and Technology, Ms. Spitzley was instrumental in securing approximately $5 million in grant monies for the Rouge River Gateway Partnership, a consortium of local government, industry and academic interests assembled to help connect the communities of southeastern Michigan through the creation of a contiguous green infrastructure that includes biking and hiking paths, conservation corridors and habitats along the Rouge River.

She also worked in government affairs for Governmental Consultant Services, Inc., representing several of Michigan’s urban communities.

Ms. Spitzley, a Michigan native, lives with her family in Lansing. She is a graduate of Central Michigan University and the Michigan State University College of Law.

For more information, please visit www.racertrust.org.

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