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October 26th, 2026
Niles, Michigan – The Greater Niles Chamber of Commerce and the Southwest Michigan Regional Chamber (SMRC) today announced that Martin "Marty" Mechtenberg has been named Executive Director of the Greater Niles Chamber of Commerce. Mechtenberg, a registered architect and experienced economic developer, will begin in the role on November 2.
For Mechtenberg, the appointment is something of a homecoming. His family's roots in Greater Niles stretch back more than 150 years, and much of his childhood was spent visiting the grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins who reside in the area. He was selected following a national search that drew over 300 total applicants.
"Niles has always been part of my family's story, so the chance to serve this community means a great deal to me," Mechtenberg said. "Greater Niles has real momentum: committed businesses, a downtown with genuine character, and a strategic location in the heart of Michiana. I've spent my career helping entrepreneurs and neighborhoods build from the ground up. I'm eager to listen to our members, roll up my sleeves, and help the next generation of Niles businesses start and grow right here."
Mechtenberg joins the Chamber from the South Bend–Elkhart Regional Partnership, a collaboration of economic development partners serving 47 communities across northern Indiana and southwest Michigan. As Senior Director of Entrepreneurship and Industry Innovation, he led the entrepreneurship initiatives of Startup South Bend–Elkhart and the Regional Partnership, including IDEA Week. He also supported the Partnership's traditional economic development work, including business attraction, retention, and expansion, and worked with dozens of cross-sector partners to support job creation, business recruitment, and economic growth throughout the region.
Before joining the Regional Partnership in 2023, Mechtenberg served as Economic Empowerment Specialist for the City of South Bend, where he created a nationally recognized program supporting small-scale, neighborhood-based local development.
"Marty understands economic development from every angle: the entrepreneur launching a company, the neighborhood planning its future, and the developer trying to make a project work," said Arthur Havlicek, President & CEO of the Southwest Michigan Regional Chamber. "He has spent years building the cross-border relationships that matter enormously to Niles, and his roots here mean this is more than a job to him. Greater Niles has tremendous potential, and it deserves a leader who will treat its future as personally as Marty will."
A registered architect in Indiana and Michigan, Mechtenberg also holds LEED AP credentials in Neighborhood Development and Building Design + Construction. He currently serves as a Project Manager and LEED Project Reviewer with Catalyst Partners in Grand Rapids and as an Architect with Empower Design Studio, and has taught as an adjunct professor at Colgate University and Olin College of Engineering. He earned a Master of Architecture from the University of Michigan and a Bachelor of Arts in History, with minors in German Language and Literature and Education, from Kalamazoo College.
His civic record includes service as current president of the Near West Side Neighborhood Organization in South Bend, membership on South Bend's Green Ribbon Commission, completion of the Neighborhood Leadership Academy, and a Martin Luther King Community Service Award.
"Our board set out to find a leader who could build on the Chamber's momentum and help Greater Niles compete for investment, talent, and new businesses," said Bryan Van Itallie, Chair of the Greater Niles Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors. "Marty brings a rare combination of entrepreneurial energy, design expertise, and regional relationships, along with a genuine personal stake in this community. On behalf of the board, I want to thank everyone who took part in the search, and we're thrilled to welcome Marty to the role."
As Executive Director, Mechtenberg will lead the Chamber's economic development, member services, and organizational management, working under the guidance of the Greater Niles Chamber Board of Directors. He will also be supported by SMRC, which provides membership, events, marketing, financial, and administrative support to the Greater Niles Chamber.
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