Ellen Cutter

Ellen Cutter joined Greater Fort Wayne Inc. in October 2016. As chief economic development officer, Ellen leads implementation of Allen County Together, a 10-year strategic plan to promote a high- growth, innovative, and inclusive economy.  She also manages business retention, business attraction, downtown development, and workforce development activities.

A Chicago-area native, Ellen is a graduate of Loyola University Chicago, and she earned her Master of City and Regional Planning from Georgia Tech, with a focus on economic development and land use. She is an AICP-certified urban planner.

She previously served for three years as director of the Community Research Institute at Purdue University Fort Wayne. During that time, she collaborated with GFW Inc. as the project manager of the region’s Regional Cities proposal to the Indiana Economic Development Corporation, which secured $42 million in gap financing for quality of place projects. Prior to working locally, Ellen served as principal and director of research for Market Street Services, a community and economic development consulting firm based in Atlanta. Her eight-year tenure included strategic planning and technical assistance in more than 20 states and dozens of communities ranging from Des Moines, Iowa, to Austin, Texas, and the State of West Virginia.

Outside of work, Ellen serves on the boards of the Fort Wayne Community Schools Foundation, the Fort Wayne Philharmonic, SEED Fort Wayne, and is a member of the American Planning Association. She and her husband, Weston, have three daughters.