Develop This: Economic and Community Development

Are your companies tired of multiple stakeholders calling on them?  Erik Collins led the charge to align everyone in the Dayton, OH area to build a robust BRE call program that has generated over 7,000 visits with private sector companies.

In this episode, Dennis interviews Erik, who serves as the Director of Community and Economic Development Department for Montgomery County, Ohio - a county of more than 500,000.

Although 7,000 calls sounds impressive, it is more than just the one-on-one conversations.  Stemming from the BRE visits, they have put together additional programming like business sector roundtables, resource rallies, and business walks.

Have you heard of these things called Opportunity Zones?  More than 8,000 of them exist in low-income Census tracts, and there are incredible tax benefits for real estate and business investors.

In this episode, Dennis and Jason provide a brief overview of Opportunity Zones including the early guidance from the Internal Revenue Service.

List of Designated Opportunity Zones

IRS FAQ

Mary Ann Moon has spent the majority of her career serving the economic development industry in one form or another- even while working in the private sector.  Today, she volunteers as the Dean of the University of Oklahoma's Economic Development Institute.

In this episode, Dennis scores a terrific interview Mary Ann and leads her through a series of questions on a variety of topics.  Gain her perspective on building a career in an industry traditionally dominated by men.  Also, learn why she is so passionate about the transportation industry and hear advice for learning more about transportation and logistics.

A non-profit organization can not implement its mission without a solid financial footing.  In this episode, Dennis and Jason discuss the lessons they have learned from 5 successful economic development fundraising campaigns.

Learn the basics of fundraising including perspective on using outside, professional fundraising consultants.

Recruiting top talent to your board of directors and your staff team can transform the organization.  In this episode, Jason and Dennis visit with Jay Byers, CEO of the Greater Des Moines Partnership, about the power of strong community leaders and collective vision.

Jay is a wealth of knowledge and shares insight on a number of topics including national rankings, regionalism, community visioning, and accountability with volunteer groups.

Learn more about the Greater Des Moines Partnership and its lead role in transforming the regional economy.

It is estimated that only 8% of today's 9th graders are likely to secure a living wage job immediately after earning a university education despite accumulating crushing levels of student loan debt.

In the final episode of this interview with Dr. Kevin Fleming, Dennis asks a variety of questions about the way we must look at skilled trades and education in the future.

Learn about the five R's in education:

Reading
Wriging
Arithmetic
Relevance
Reality

Be sure to check out Kevin's book called '(RE)Defining the Goal' and his resource page: Kevin Fleming Resources

Are we at the beginning of an educational revolution?  Dr. Kevin Fleming, author of "(Re)Defining the Goal" suggests it's time to rethink education and inspire students for life after high school.  Dr. Fleming knows a thing or two about the traditional education path after spending more than $150,000 on advanced degrees.

In part one of this two part series, Dennis interviews the creator of the YouTube video that helped launch a national dialogue about acquiring the right knowledge, skills and abilities to be successful in the new economy.  His message encourages America's talented high school students to considered a career in the skilled trades instead of the blind pursuit of higher education.

Check out the YouTube video here: Success in the New Economy

Ever received great advice?  In this episode, Dennis and Jason share the best advice they have received from others in the economic development business.  From preparing for public meetings to navigating ethical decisions, this quick episode will provide you with a little motivation and inspiration to make the most of your day.

You have survived the interview, your references checked out, and now the offer comes for your new job as the CEO.  What should you consider as part of the employment agreement?

In this episode, Jason walks through some elements to consider in the negotiation process and offers suggestions for clarifying expectations between the employer and the employee.  Non-profit boards of directors regularly change, and the CEO should take the necessary steps to ensure any potential employment separation goes amicably.

Sometimes you need to think outside of the box to bring a community together.  In this episode, Dennis outlines a step-by-step process to rally your community behind a world record attempt.  Learn from his personal experience in leading two different communities through the record-setting process.  He even convinced a major manufacturing facility to stop production so the employees could join the effort.

Think setting a world record is crazy?  It sure is, but it may just be the thing your community needs.