Economic Development

Jacob Vallo

Mr. Vallo serves as Chief Development Officer for DeKalb County, Georgia, where he oversees the advancement of public and private sector projects supporting the county's community and economic development objectives. He brings 27 years of experience spanning both the public and private sectors, including real estate investment and development positions with leading international firms such as Hines, Jamestown, and the Rockefeller Group. He also served as Chief Investment Officer of the Westside Future Fund Real Estate Investment Fund and as Assistant General Manager of Real Estate Development and Asset Management at the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA). Mr. Vallo holds a Bachelor's degree from Texas A&M University and a Master's degree from Cornell University.

What is Economic Development

Economic development is the process of intentionally building a stronger local economy. It means attracting new employers, helping existing businesses grow, guiding development to the right places, and connecting residents to the jobs that are created. Done well, it turns land, talent, and infrastructure into lasting opportunity, jobs that support families, investment that broadens the tax base, and growth that reaches every neighborhood.

Who we serve

Companies choosing a location. Developers planning a project. Investors evaluating a market. Entrepreneurs starting where they live.

Economic development is how DeKalb County turns land, talent, and infrastructure into jobs, investment, and long-term community wealth.

DeKalb County is one of Georgia's most diverse and connected economies, home to more than 780,000 residents, major film and television production, hypersonic aerospace engineering, nationally ranked healthcare systems, advanced manufacturing, logistics, and large-scale mixed-use development. It sits at the doorstep of Atlanta's international airport and the interstate and transit networks that move people and goods worldwide.

The County's economic development work is a coordinated effort to attract new business, help existing employers expand, guide site selection and development, connect projects to incentives and workforce pipelines, and ensure growth reaches every community in DeKalb. Under the leadership of the Office of the CEO and in partnership with Decide DeKalb, the County's primary economic development authority, that work is backed by historic investments in water, sewer, transportation, and public facilities designed to unlock development for decades to come.

The result is a county built for what comes next. If you are deciding where to locate your next headquarters, laboratory, production facility, or development, this page is your starting point.

DeKalb County pairs the momentum of a rising innovation economy with the infrastructure, talent, and connectivity that let projects move fast and stay.

DeKalb isn't aspirational alone. World-class institutions and companies are already building, hiring, and investing here.

Opportunity Zones          Site Selection          Redevelopment