Ron Frierson serves as Director of Economic Development of the U.S. West Region at Amazon. In his role, Ron leads the team that supports and champions Amazon investment projects across various Amazon business lines in areas of market-entry, strategy, site selection, entitlements, operations, and partnerships. Before joining Amazon, Ron served as Director of Economic Policy for former Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti. Ron led the Business Team for the Mayor’s Office, which developed business policy affecting the world’s 3rd largest metropolitan economy. Ron’s portfolio included Commercial Real Estate Development, Technology, Sports & Entertainment, Manufacturing, Taxation, Healthcare, and Tourism & Hospitality. He also oversaw the Convention & Tourism Department, Department of Cannabis Regulation and the Economic Workforce & Development Department on behalf of the Mayor’s Office.
Significant projects include Gucci’s 100-year anniversary, COVID-19 microloan program, the L.A. Regional COVID Relief Fund, Commercial Eviction Moratorium, Covid-19 vaccine logistics/strategy, and film studio capacity strategy, among others. Ron’s team was instrumental in developing programs to help the Los Angeles economy stabilize and recover from damage caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.