Economic Development and Developers in the News #94

Econ dev news from 203 economic development executives and organizations in 25 states.

1 Feb 2023 — 8 min read

Every community is different. Atlanta, GA is not Peoria, IL. Don’t use another city’s fundraising playbook and expect the same results! A small market requires a different economic development fundraising strategy from a larger market.

RDG's experts thrive in providing customized economic development fundraising solutions for every situation. So whether you’re a startup organization, or on your third funding cycle, they’ve got the team and experience to get you the results you’re looking for.

Learn More

Alabama

A $20 million investment will expand Hanna Steel's Tuscaloosa plant and lead to the creation of at least 14 new jobs. (Justice Smyth, Executive Director, Tuscaloosa County EDA)

Alaska

Anchorage's labor shortage will cost the economy thousands of jobs in high-wage industries like health care this year, according to an economic forecast released Wednesday by the Anchorage Economic Development Corp. It will also hurt the ability of companies to land federal grants from the giant infrastructure package. (Bill Popp, President, Anchorage Economic Development Corp., Tom Stellman, CEO & Founder, TIP Strategies; Donna Logan, President, McKinley Research Group)

Arkansas

The Arkansas Economic Developers and Chamber Executives announced its 2023 Board of Directors. (Robert Birch, Director of Development, City of North Little Rock; James Bell, Vice President of Economic Development, Greater Bentonville Area Chamber of Commerce; Ashlee Vaughan, Economic Development Coordinator, Arkadelphia Regional Economic Development Alliance; Allison Hestand, CEO & Director of Economic Development, Paragould Regional Chamber of Commerce/EDC; Jack Thomas, Vice President of Economic Development, Little Rock Regional Chamber of Commerce; Hugh McDonald, Secretary of Commerce;
Candice Lawrence, Vice President of Programs and Partnerships, Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce; Nancy Lee McNew, Vice President, Economic Development Alliance for Jefferson County; Gary Troutman, President & CEO, Hot Springs Metro Partnership/Greater Hot Springs Chamber of Commerce; Steve Cox, Senior Vice President of Economic Development, Rogers Lowell Chamber; Julie Allen, Executive Director, Newport Area Chamber of Commerce; Mallory Darby, Vice President, Mississippi County Economic Development; Graycen Bigger, Northeast Arkansas Intermodal Authority; Steven Lamm, Vice President of Economic Development, Jonesboro Unlimited; Kellie Wall, Executive Director, Maumelle Area Chamber of Commerce; Bill Rogers, President, Springdale Chamber of Commerce; Ellie Baker, Executive Director, Magnolia Economic Development;
Randy Zook, President & CEO, Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce)

California

The Los Angeles County Department of Economic Opportunity has announced the launch of the first phase of the Economic Opportunity Grant program for small and microbusinesses, and non-profit agencies in LA County. EOG will award more than $54 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act funds. (Kelly LoBianco, Director, Los Angeles County Department of Economic Opportunity)

The City of Riverside has a new economic development manager and city planner. Jorge T. Barrera will lead the city’s economic development division, and Maribeth Tinio will assume the role of city planner.

The Solano Economic Development Center Speaker Series returns Tuesday with a webinar that will focus on policy and advocacy exploring the legislation agenda for economic development. (Gurbax Sahota, President & CEO, California Association of Local Economic Development; Tracy Rhine, Senior Policy Advocate, Rural County Representatives of California; Daniel Carrigg, Senior Policy Advisor, Renne Public Policy Group; Evan Schmidt, CEO, Valley Vision
Micah Weinberg, CEO, California Forward)

Colorado

The Business Funding & Incentives Division of the Colorado Office of Economic Development & International Trade announced today that Costilla County and the town of San Luis have been designated as Rural Jump-Start Zones. This designation is intended to encourage economic development and job creation by offering new businesses or businesses that move to these zones significant financial benefits. (Morgan Vankat, Program Manager)

Florida

The Miami-Dade Beacon Council named Rodrick Miller President and Chief Executive Officer.

Governor DeSantis is nominating Laura DiBella to serve as the Secretary of Commerce and President & CEO of Enterprise Florida, Inc.

Illinois

The City of Matteson didn't get a casino license, but the Chicago suburb has other economic development plans. (LaVern Murphy, Deputy Economic Development & Marketing Director, City of Matteson)

Economic Development Manager Paul Zalmezak told City Council that Evanston isn’t facing the same severity of economic development concerns as other municipalities.

Homebuilders in Bloomington-Normal are playing catch up in meeting the growth of the last decade, the more recent expansion of the labor market, and projected future growth. Data show they need to increase the pace, in spite of higher interest rates, and build a variety of housing. (Patrick Hoban, CEO, Bloomington-Normal Economic Development Council; Justin Carney, Principal, Development Strategies)

Tax breaks aren't always bad policy. But sometimes, they really, really are.

Indiana

Audrie Burkett is the new Chief Operations Officer at the Evansville Regional Economic Partnership.

LaPorte-based AME Consulting is in charge of what’s now called the Center for Economic Development, Planning and Government Affairs.

Iowa

Matt Schmitz, director of community and economic development for the city of Lansing, assumed a new job as city manager of Independence, Iowa

The Union County Development Association Board of Trustees named Mindy Stalker Executive Director of the association.

Louisiana

Kyle Buckley has joined the St. Tammany Corp. economic development organization as its new graduate research fellow. (Chris Masingill, CEO, St. Tammany Corp.)

The city and parish of Lafayette are the latest to be recognized as part of the Louisiana Development Ready Community program. (Anita Begnaud, CEO
Downtown Lafayette Unlimited; Don Pierson, Secretary, LED; Mandi Mitchell, President & CEO, Lafayette Economic Development Authority)

Massachusetts

Casey Hagerty has been named the City of Woburn's Economic Development Manager.

In a long-awaited move to break up Boston’s independent planning and economic development arm, Mayor Michelle Wu filed an order Monday asking the City Council to formally begin deconstructing the agency. (James Arthur Jemison, Chief of Planning, BPDA; Teresa Polhemus, Executive Director/Secretary, BPDA)

Michigan

The Marshall Township Board of Trustees voted 4-1 Thursday to approve four separate land transfers with the city of Marshall to allow for utilities at the Marshall Mega Site, a property that's being marketed as a premier destination for a large scale manufacturing operation such as an electric vehicle battery or semiconductor facility. (Josh Hundt, Executive Vice President & Chief Projects Officer, Michigan Economic Development Corporation; James Durian, CEO, Marshall Area Economic Development Alliance)

Minnesota

Sarah Swedburg was recognized statewide as the Emerging Young Professional of the Year by the Economic Development Association of Minnesota. Swedburg has served the Kandiyohi County and City of Willmar Economic Development Commission as the business development manager since May 2021. (Michelle Marotzke, Economic Developer, Mid-Minnesota Development Commission)

New York

The County of Chautauqua Industrial Development Agency announced $501M in new investments and 363 new jobs in 2022. (Mark Geise, Deputy County Executive for Economic Development & CEO, County of Chautauqua Industrial Development Agency)

The Westchester County Biosciences Accelerator, which supports the development of Westchester's hub of life science innovation and commercialization, announced three new corporate partners: Boehringer Ingelheim, C3 Medical Device Consulting LLC and Moses Singer LLP. (Deborah Novick, Director of Entrepreneurship & Innovation, Westchester County; Mary Howard, Program Director, WCBA)

The Chautauqua County Partnership for Economic Growth is offering planning and funding support for municipalities that need help to create a Downtown Revitalization Master Plan or Complete Streets project. (Mark Geise, Deputy County Executive for Economic Development, Chautauqua County; Nathan Aldrich, Manager, Chautauqua County Partnership for Economic Growth)

North Carolina

Truist Foundation said Monday it has launched "Where It Starts," a $22-million, multi-year program that aims to strengthen small businesses and open career pathways for Black, indigenous and people of color individuals across the U.S.

Channing Jones, Robeson County Economic Development director, discusses major job creation successes underway in the county during a presentation to the Robeson County Committee of 100. (Scott T. Hamilton, President & CEO, Golden LEAF Foundation)

The Foothills Regional Commission is preparing a 5-year, comprehensive economic development strategy for the four-county region of Cleveland, McDowell, Polk, and Rutherford Counties. (Danna Stansbury, Executive Director, Foothills Regional Commission)

Kristy Crisp, Gastonia's economic development director, has helped guide the city's strategy at the FUSE District. After success in the first wave, more projects are on the way as the city looks to capitalize on its momentum.

Consultants are preparing an economic development strategy and incentive policy report for the town of Leland – the first professionally solicited report of its kind for the growing community. (Gary Vidmar, Economic & Community Development Director, Town of Leland; Crystal Morphis, LEED Green Associate, Creative Economic Development Consulting LLC)

North Dakota

Grand Forks Economic Development Corporation looks to industrial growth and workforce as its top priorities for 2023. (Keith Lund, President & CEO, Grand Forks EDC)

Ohio

Dennis Mingyar received the National Rural Economic Developers Association President’s Award for outstanding support and commitment to rural economic development.

Wickliffe created a city development team to assist with economic development.

A new annual contract with Aurora's Economic Development Director Holly Harris Bane was approved this week.

Oklahoma

Oklahoma Magazine profiled the Executive Director of Oklahoma’s Department of Commerce, Brent Kisling.

Pennsylvania

Perry County received its first “main street” designation on Thursday as part of a state program to revitalize and develop communities across the Commonwealth. (Julie Fitzpatrick, executive director of the Pennsylvania Downtown Center)

South Carolina

Global Location Strategies announced the acquisition of two cloud-based software platforms serving the economic development industry: LocationOne (LOIS) and Lasso.

OneSpartanburg Inc. announced Jan. 26 it landed 36 economic development projects in 2022 on behalf of Spartanburg County and the city of Spartanburg. (OneSpartanburg Inc. President and CEO Allen Smith)

Texas

Larry Tucker is the new Economic Development Director of the city of Farmersville.

The Daily News supports Galveston County’s efforts to sell lawmakers on a bill forcing the Port of Houston Authority to develop more than 1,000 acres of raw land it owns on Pelican Island or sell the parcel to a buyer who will. (Dane Carlson, director of economic development for Galveston County). That's me!

Stephanie Tucker is the new Economic Development Director for the Canyon Economic Development Corp.

Miriam Castillo is the new economic development director for the City of Laredo.

United States

DCI's Economic Development 40 Under 40 Class of 2023 is out. (Alia Abbas, Amanda Blackwood, Amanda Obidike, Amanda Taylor, Becca Cruger, Brendan Murray, Cameron R. Law, Cara Weber, Casey Evans DeBellis, Christopher Bruno, Cornell A. Wesley, Daniel Clark, David Rodgers, Donnie Miller, Emily McVey, Fernando Garcia, Jack Thomas, James R. Charles, Janel L. Carothers, Jayson Newell, Joe Sobieralski, Katy Parker, Komal Doshi, Matt McLaren, Meryl Fisackerly, Michael Harding, Jr., Michael Harris, Michael Sage, Monique Claiborne, Portia Bailey-Bernard, Rickelle Williams, Samanta Jovanovic, Shannon Landauer, Steph Ison, Steven Anthony, Stevie Phillips, Taylor Davis, Tiffany Thacker, Toni Sprenkle, and Victor Valle, Jr.)

ResearchFDI announced the appointment of Bruce Takefman, CEO, as Vice-Chairman of the IEDC International Advisory Committee. The IEDC International Advisory Committee provides guidance to the IEDC on a range of international economic development initiatives and strategies.

Washington DC

IEDC's 2023 Equity Summit @ IEDC's Leadership Summit was a success! (Chanell Hasty, Zytha Kock, Anne Bovaird Nevins, Kevin S. Dick, Dell Gines, Cecilia Mowatt, Leonard Sledge, SeonAh Kendall, Dr. Eloisa Klementich, Elizabeth Demetriou, Jenn Steinfeld, Danny Knee, Keneshia Raymond, Mary Ellen Wiederwohl, Tracye McDaniel, Mishka Parkins, Jon Roberts, Jerry T. Sanford, Lynne Stein Benzion, Dr. Kim Carter Evans, Kevin J. Price, Inez Long, Reese Niu, Mirella Tamayo Craigo, Lawrence McComie, James H. Bason)

Wisconsin

The Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation announced the launch of SizeUpWI, a new data intelligence tool that is designed to help small and midsize businesses thrive and grow by making sound strategic business decisions. (EDC secretary and CEO Missy Hughes)

Wyoming

Wyoming’s Governor sees a hopeful future for the state's economy. (Lauren Schoenfeld, executive director for Wyoming Innovation Partnership)

The Econ Dev Show is a podcast and weekday email newsletter of actionable strategies, fresh news, insights, and ideas from the economic development community and your host, Dane Carlson. On Wednesdays, we share news from the economic development community.

Thank you to our sponsor Resource Development Group.

In the News Newsletter