When you think about economic development, you might picture a groundbreaking, a ribbon-cutting, or a shiny new district. But more often, it looks like slow, steady puzzle-building.

This week, I sat down with Padmini Roy-Dixon, Economic Development Director and Regional Innovation Officer at MORPC, who’s been quietly assembling some of the most important pieces for Central Ohio’s future. She shared what it means to shift from transactional deals to long-term planning, why our new Economic Development District designation matters, and how MORPC is helping communities get ready before opportunity knocks.

We talked about the need for equitable access to not just resources, but decision-making power. We explored the Economic Development Academy, a new training ground for the next generation of civic leaders. And we got honest about what’s still missing: enough housing, enough coordination, and enough resources to match the scale of Central Ohio’s growth.

Shownotes

• Regional Economic Development Academy
• Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission (MORPC)
• US Economic Development Administration
• One Columbus

Full transcript on page 2.

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