Develop This: Economic and Community Development

In this episode, Dennis offers up some common sense strategies to help deal with tough budget times.

• Do great work
• Communicate
• Measure
• Build coalitions
• Measure your organization against your peers
• Build relationships
• Be transparent
• Engage your board

Dennis's organization, Lee County Economic Development Group, recently became an AEDO - Accredited Economic Development Organization through IEDC. Dennis is joined by Bill Murphy - President & CEO of Ardmore Development Authority in Ardmore, OK, and Jim Fram - Consultant and Economic Development Leader - of Community Growth Strategies, and they discuss the process of becoming an Accredited Economic Development Organization. 

• What is AEDO, and why is it important?
• How many AEDOs are there?
• Why does good governance and organizational excellence matter? 
• When an organization decides to pursue the AEDO designation, what is the first step?
• Is there an area of the AEDO process that seems to be particularly challenging for ED organizations?
• Is the AEDO process pass or fail, or does the AEDO committee provide guidance during the process?
• The two parts of the AEDO process 
  • 1. The documentation
  • The site visit
• Advice for organizations that are considering becoming an AEDO

William “Bill” Murphy is the President & CEO of the Ardmore Chamber of Commerce, Ardmore Development Authority, Ardmore Tourism Authority, and the Ardmore Chamber of Commerce Foundation where he leads a team of professionals to execute the community’s business, economic and tourism development efforts.

He has over 20 years of experience leading economic development efforts in communities and regions in Ohio, Georgia, Kansas, and Oklahoma. Prior to coming to Ardmore, Murphy served as the Deputy Secretary for the Kansas Department of Commerce where he led the state’s business development efforts through the department’s business attraction, in-state business development, international and community development divisions. He has also led the economic development efforts in Tulsa, Columbus, GA and in communities throughout Southwest Ohio. Through this work, he has helped facilitate projects with companies that have resulted in more than $3 billion in announced new capital investment and more than 3,000 jobs.

Murphy is a graduate of Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio earning his bachelor’s degree in Political Science and his Master’s in Public Administration. He is a Certified Economic Developer through the International Economic Development Council. Murphy has also earned his designation as an Economic Development Finance Professional through the National Development Council. Finally, he has earned his Master Economic Development Practitioner designation from the Advanced Economic Development Leadership Program from Clemson, Southern Miss, Texas Christian Universities and the University of New Mexico.

Jim Fram is a Certified Economic Developer (CEcD) through the International Economic Development Council (IEDC) and a Certified Chamber Executive (CCE) through the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives (ACCE) with 30+ years of successful economic development and senior-level chamber of commerce management experience in Arkansas, Texas, Oklahoma, Nebraska, and Missouri.

Jim led two economic development organizations to accreditation by the International Economic Development Council (Tulsa, OK, and Hot Springs, AR). He also led three Chambers of Commerce to Five Star Accreditation by the U. S. Chamber of Commerce (Lincoln, NE, Tulsa, OK, Hot Springs, AR).

He has served on the faculty at the Heartland Basic Economic Development Course and the Mid-South Basic Economic Development Course. He is a past Chairman of the Oklahoma Governor’s Economic Development Team (2007). He is an Honorary Life Member of the Southern Economic Development Council (SEDC) and a Fellow Member (FM) of the International Economic Development Council (IEDC). He is also a frequent instructor, moderator, and guest speaker at numerous economic development and Chamber of Commerce organizations, conferences, and events across the country.

In January of 2018, he fulfilled a longtime dream and founded Community Growth Strategies, LLC., a consulting firm that focuses on assisting communities as well as regional economic development efforts and chambers of commerce. His office is in his home in Columbia, MO, where his wife, Kelli, is a consultant, project manager, and instructor at Westminster College.

Working on the Other Side: From Elected Official to Economic Development

 In this episode, contributing correspondent Joi Cuartero Austin is joined by Kyle Moore, President of the Great River Economic Development Foundation in Quincy and Adams County, Illinois. Kyle discusses his journey from elected official to economic development professional.

•  Going from the private sector, to elected official, to economic development.
• Stakeholders working together in a big, small town on a community strategic plan.
• Perspective on working on the public and private side of economic development.
• Advice for economic developers working from elected officials as representatives of the business community.
• Helping elected officials understand the role of their local economic development organization.
• Methods of sharing economic development successes.

In this episode, Dennis opens up about what he believes are the three biggest mistakes he has made in workforce programming. Dennis and Mark discuss the realities and difficulties of developing workforce programming. 

In this short episode, Dennis reflects on his day and how assembling a like-minded group of people can make or break a project. 

Dennis is joined by IEDC President and CEO Nathan Ohle, and they discuss the growth and changes at IEDC over the past year. They also discuss the future of IEDC and the economic development profession. 

• New IEDC Strategic Plan
• Economic Recovery Corps Fellowship
• $1 million research initiative Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Dennis and Mark Perna make bold predictions on the future of our workforce and what lies ahead for our employers. 

Mark's book - Answering Why

Dennis is joined by generational expert Mark Perna, and together they discuss the current state of workforce efforts in America and boldly predict the future of workforce programs. 

Mark's book - Answering Why?

In this episode, contributing correspondent Joi Cuartero Austin is joined by Jackie Swihart, Program Officer with Main Street America. Joi and Jackie discuss Leadership and board burnout

 Economic development is challenging, with a lot of responsibility in building community prosperity, which is why you need a strong vision, good planning, and even better leadership at the helm of economic development and other partner organizations. Furthermore, if we weren’t already having trouble keeping good staff and board members, the pandemic really highlighted challenges with recruitment and retention. So, what can organizations do to help with leadership burnout and cultivate a strong pipeline?

Staff:

• Great Resignation or Turnover Tsunami: Do you think it’s slowing down?
• What do you think expectations are now when hiring for leadership staff roles?

Board:

• Difficulty in recruiting and retaining volunteers.
• What has changed in volunteerism in general?

General:

Our work usually takes us into disinvested communities, whether rural or neighborhood commercial districts, where nonprofit/community organizations often operate with limited resources. How do you navigate resource constraints while still striving for meaningful impact?

With the communities you have worked with, are there any trends you have been seeing with staff and board members as it pertains to burnout?

Economic development work can be demanding. How do you balance the need for ambitious goals with the well-being of your team members to prevent burnout?

How important is collaboration with local partners, businesses, and government entities in the success of economic development initiatives in these communities in avoiding burnout?

How do you recognize and address signs of burnout among your team members?

What should organizations be prioritizing to help keep staff and build better boards?

Do you ever wonder how extremely busy people get so much done? Dennis is joined by Mark Perna and they discuss tips and strategies to be more effective at work. They also discuss the difference between activity and productivity. 

• Email strategies
• How to empower others
• Effective onboarding
• Spending your time effectively
• Silence internal negative talk