The Michigan Economic Development Corp. is adding another Ann Arbor business leader to its roster of executives.

MEDC, which is led by former Ann Arbor SPARK CEO Michael Finney, has hired former ProQuest executive Elliot Forsyth to become vice president and chief operating officer for talent enhancement.

Former ProQuest executive Elliot Forsyth

Ryan Stanton | AnnArbor.com

Forsyth, who starts April 25, was senior vice president of human resources and business services at ProQuest, which manages an extensive portfolio of databases and information resources and employs about 585 workers in Ann Arbor.

“Elliot brings fresh perspective, experience and a unique skill set to MEDC and the state of Michigan,” Finney said. “We look forward to harnessing his strengths as we build our talent enhancement team.”

The appointment comes as MEDC is assuming the state's workforce development initiatives after Gov. Rick Snyder signed an executive order expanding the agency's authorities. Forsyth will report to Amy Cell, MEDC's senior vice president for talent enhancement, who previously served as SPARK's vice president for talent enhancement.

Forsyth, who served on SPARK's executive committee, becomes the latest Ann Arbor executive to migrate to MEDC. Finney recruited Cell and Elizabeth Parkinson, SPARK's former vice president for marketing and public relations, to join him at MEDC.

MEDC also employs other executives with Ann Arbor ties, including Ned Staebler, another vice president.

Contact AnnArbor.com's Nathan Bomey at (734) 623-2587 or nathanbomey@annarbor.com. You can also follow him on Twitter or subscribe to AnnArbor.com's newsletters.