Interviews with Thought Leaders in Economic Development: Recent Episodes
Whittaker Associates
In this episode, Mark James discusses the electric utility industry role in site selection, current trends within the industry, electrical capacity, supply chain issues and the need to dramatically invest in the expansion of the grid. Mark also shares with us the future of economic development as seen from his perspective as the former Dean […]
In this episode, we have a conversation with Karl Dye, President/CEO of TRIDEC (Tri Cities Development Council) serving Benton and Franklin Counties in Washington State. Karl discusses the opportunities for economic development organizations in decarbonization, climate change, and the electric power shortage. He also describers where he sees the economic development profession heading in the […]
In this episode, we have, as our guest, Lee Crume, President & CEO of BE NKY Growth Partnership, an organization whose mission is to attract, retain, and grow businesses in Boone, Campbell, and Kenton Counties, Kentucky.
Lee was appointed to his current position in April of 2019 after extensive business experience in the private sector. Lee was recognized in 2018 and again in 2023 as one of the Top 50 North American Economic Developers by Consultant Connect. In 2022 Lee and his team at BE NKY won 19 projects representing $292 million in capital investment and 2,356 jobs.
Today, Lee will talk with us about the trends in economic development. More, specifically, about how the nature of economic development is changing and, as a result, the the role of the economic developer.
In Episode 21, Alia Abbas shares with us her experience as a first-time attendee at the Select USA Conference, an investment summit in Washington DC annually. It provides an opportunity for economic development organization to meet with potential international investors considering establishing business operations in the United States.Alia Abbas has a Master of Arts degree in Geography specializing in Economic Development from York University with TMUs certification to boost her career prospects and be credible in her industry. Alia is also the Founder and CEO of Alia Consulting - Economic Development Firm based in Toronto. Her firm focuses on business continuity and economic recovery initiatives. She worked on investment attraction for companies based in U.S. She has worked on developing supply chain strategies for economic development organizations with her certification in Supply Chain and Logistics accredited by FEMA.She is an award-winning economic developer. She is the recent recipient of the 2023 Economic Development 40 Under 40 Award, the biennial award recognizing rising stars under 40 years old in the economic development industry. In the past, Alia has won the EDCO 2021 - Bright Ideas Competition and received a trophy. The Bright Ideas Competition is an annual idea competition for economic development practitioners of all experience levels. Her team won for their report on “Performance Measurement” which was designed to assist economic development organizations in their economic recovery initiatives from COVID-19.
Nathan Ohle has been recently appointed as the President/CEO of the International Economic Development Council (IEDC). Under his leadership, several initiatives are underway, including a comprehensive strategic plan that involves a thorough review of all IEDC membership services. Nathan emphasizes the importance of collaboration in economic development as opposed to the competitive approaches of the past.One of the key focus areas for the organization under Nathan's leadership is addressing critical social and environmental issues. IEDC is actively working on promoting inclusion, equity, and combating systemic racism within the field of economic development. By fostering diverse and inclusive communities, the organization aims to ensure that economic growth benefits everyone and that opportunities are equally accessible.Additionally, Nathan recognizes the importance of addressing climate change as an integral part of sustainable economic development. IEDC is committed to integrating environmentally responsible practices and strategies into its policies and programs. This includes promoting green initiatives, investing in clean technologies, and supporting the transition to a low-carbon economy.Under Nathan Ohle's guidance, the IEDC is set to tackle these important challenges and redefine the landscape of economic development by fostering collaboration, inclusion, equity, and environmental sustainability
Andy Bass is a long-time tech entrepreneur in West Michigan, having founded a variety of companies in the e-commerce and supply chain space over the past 30 years. He is the CEO of NetNerd Ventures, providing startup and technology strategy and software development services throughout Michigan. With a background in SaaS software engineering, internal IT, and systems integration, Andy has advised many companies throughout his career.. Andy co-founded and serves as Chief Technology Officer for Conpoto, a currency platform that connects community members with local merchants and enables millions of dollars to be kept in a community, each year.Prior to Conpoto, Andy was a co-founder of LeanLogistics (now E2Open), which developed and commercialized cloud-based transportation management software. His teams created and supported a mission-critical supply chain platform used by Fortune 500 companies to process billions of dollars in freight spend annually. Early in his career, Andy introduced thousands of users to the Internet when he founded the Grand Rapids Free-Net, the first internet Service Provider in West Michigan.
Matt McQuade, Managing Director, Business Development One Columbus shares with us his view of the future of economic development. As a millennial (born between 1981 and 1996) Matt brings a perspective on the future of economic development from a younger generation than several of our previous guests. With 12 years in the economic development profession, he has been engaged in several location projects in the Columbus, Ohio region. Matt is the point person for the Intel project. Intel is planning to invest more than $20 billion in the construction of two new leading-edge chip factories in Ohio to boost production to meet the demand for advanced semiconductors, power a new generation of innovative products from Intel, and serve the needs of foundry customers. Spanning nearly 1,000 acres in Licking County, just outside of Columbus, the “mega-site” can accommodate a total of eight chip factories as well as supporting operations and ecosystem partners.
In this episode of the Whittaker Associates Podcast, Julie Curtin, President/CEO of the Economic Development Practice of Development Councilors International (DCI) shares with us her insight into the future of economic development. In her role as a board member of the International Economic Development Council (IEDC), she worked directly with IEDC to support the launch of the Diversity Fellowship, a 10-week intern program for young people of color to work in economic development in order to help increase diversity within the economic development profession. Julie first joined DCI as a staff member in 1994. Julie graduated with a Journalism degree from The University of Kansas and resides in Denver, Colorado with her husband and four children.
Ed Sitar, Senior Manager of Economic Development at ComEd. Ed oversees the company’s large business customer retention and expansion strategy to grow key industries in northern Illinois. Ed is a 28-year company veteran who has worked closely with Illinois municipalities, and regional and state economic development organizations.
Ed holds a bachelor's degree in urban planning and development and a bachelor’s of science in Environmental Design, with a minor in Energy and Mineral Resources Both degrees are from Ball State University.
Jim Alexander, Senior Vice President of Business Attraction for AllianceSTL of Greater St. Louis. Inc. shares with us the exciting story of the new National Geospatial Intelligence Agency (NGA) $2 billion campus in St. Louis that is under construction. The 99-acre site will house over 3,600 workers interpreting geospatial information from satellites for the US Department of Defense and other federal agencies. The project is designed to support the Region's diversity, equity, and inclusion mission. Through the collaboration of workforce development organizations and educational institutions, a talent pipeline is being created to provide a diverse workforce with the skills needed.
Kate is the founder of Kate McEnroe Consulting, a sole proprietorship founded in 1993 as a location selection and economic development consulting firm. Her MBA is from The Wharton School. Her background in corporate management positions gives her a solid foundation and the skills to sustain an evolving consulting practice for over 25 years. By sharing direct insights and offering flexible approaches from on-site consultations to virtual training, Kate can ensure that communities, companies, and individuals understand their strengths and their options, and are better equipped to take immediate action to improve their place in the world. Kate is an expert in coaching economic development organizations through designing high-impact business cases for workforce assets, deploying marketing resources, and applying data visualization principles to the task of marketing places.
In the episode, Maureen shares with us her perspective on the economic development profession having served in leadership roles at local, regional, and state positions. She assumed her current position as President and CEO of the Detriot Regional Partnership in July of 2020. She describes leading her team that is working remotely through the chaos of the beginning of the pandemic and yet maintaining an enthusiasm that comes through in her response to the interview questions.
Jon Roberts, Principal and Managing Partner at TIP Strategies, Inc. share with us his thoughts regarding remote work and its long-term impact on the residential, commercial, and industrial real estate market. In the interview, Jon also discusses the importance to economic development of resilience in view of climate change.
Greg Wathen, CO-CEO, Evansville Economic Regional Partnership shares with us his experience as their region transitions from multiple organizations engaged in different aspects of economic development to one organization focused on a common mission, vision, and purpose. In the interview, Greg explains the value of their regional approach to economic development.
Judie Scalise, Founder, and Principal of ESI Corporation share with us trends taking place in economic and real estate development in the pre-planning phase and the economic impact and feasibility analysis. Judie shares with us the lessons learned in her 30 years of working with a broad base of clients including government agencies, private developers, tribal communities, economic development organizations, and utility companies.
Aaron Brossoit is CEO and a founder at Golden Shovel Agency, a firm specializing in communications for economic development. He has led the creation of communication tools and services currently supporting over 200 economic development organizations across North America. In this episode, Aaron describes the current state of the application of virtual reality in community storytelling and a glimpse into what's next in the form of augmented reality.
Tim Cowden, President, and CEO of the Kansas City Area Development Council share with us how he has successfully created a collaborative regional organization that encompasses 18 counties in two states. In addition to a strong team, and engage investors, the KCADC is intentional in its collaboration efforts. This intentionality has enabled the KCADC to be recognized as one of the top regional economic organizations in the country.