Ned Staebler, who ran unsuccessfully last summer for a seat serving the Ann Arbor area in the Michigan House of Representatives, is the new economic development leader for Wayne State University.

Staebler, an Ann Arbor resident, left his position as a vice president of the Michigan Economic Development Corp. to become vice president for economic development at Wayne State, which is located in Detroit. He'll start his new position June 6, WSU announced today.

He will lead Wayne State's involvement in the Detroit startup incubator TechTown, coordinate the university's efforts to create startup companies and license technology to private companies and lead the university's efforts to spur economic development in Detroit.

"Wayne State is a major contributor to the culture, economy and vibrancy of Detroit," Staebler said in a statement. "I look forward to the opportunity to help the university leverage more of its assets to be a catalyst for growth in Midtown and the state as a whole."

In Michigan's August primary election, Staebler narrowly lost the Democratic nomination for the 53rd District state House. Former Washtenaw County Commissioner Jeff Irwin defeated Staebler by about 200 votes and won the seat easily in the general election.

Staebler, who earned a bachelor's degree from Harvard University and a master's degree from the London School of Economics and Political Science, also previous served as associate director at Bear Stearns International Ltd. He is the chairman of Ann Arbor's Housing and Human Services Advisory Board.

His departure from the MEDC is the latest in a series of changes for the group, which is now led by former Ann Arbor SPARK CEO Michael Finney. Finney, who was recruited for the job by Gov. Rick Snyder, recruited former SPARK executives Amy Cell and Elizabeth Parkinson and former ProQuest executive Elliot Forsyth — all from Ann Arbor — to join MEDC.

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.